Mouth cancer is cancer of the mouth. The most common type of mouth cancer is called squamous cell carcinoma, which develops in the thin, flat cells lining the upper surface inside your mouth.
The development of mouth cancers can be attributed to many factors. These include tobacco use, alcohol abuse, genetics, sun exposure and poor oral hygiene. In this Medical Journal, we will take a closer look at some of the major causes of mouth cancer, as well as treatment methods, and how to prevent it.
How to Detect the Signs and Symptoms Early
According to statistics discovered by the American Dental Association, more than 41,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer in the United States every year. This is a scary statistic considering oral cancer often has no signs or symptoms until it is advanced and hard to diagnose.
Early detection is therefore key to fighting the devastating effects of oral cancer. Not only can the cancer put your health at risk; you might struggle having your dental health insurance cover it if it is allowed to grow stronger. This is not only true in the US, but also in most European countries.
According to Norwegian Dental Insurance NUF’s website Tannhelseforsikring – Din Tannforsikring, it’s essential that you do regular dental check-ups with your dentist, doing a self-examination of your mouth lining and speaking to your dentist about any changes in your mouth or in your health that concern you.
By detecting the signs of oral cancer early, you may start treating it right away – a much cheaper option than waiting until the situation is more severe. The ideal thing to do, however, is to prevent this cancer from occurring at all.
Oral Cancer Treatment Methods
Oral cancer is a tumor that occurs in the mouth, lips, tongue, throat or tonsils. It is the eighth most common type of cancer worldwide with around 600,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
There are different treatments for oral cancer to try to cure it but there are no guarantees. The goals of oral cancer treatment are to remove all visible cells while preserving the patient’s teeth and jaw structure.
#1) Surgery: This is the most common way of treating oral cancers and can include removing tumors or surgically removing the upper jaw or palate to remove tumors in these places where they cannot be seen.
#2) Radiotherapy: This usually involves giving high doses of radiation through a machine for between two-to-six weeks. The goal is to kill all bad cells that are causing the cancer.
Major Causes of Mouth Cancer and What You Can Do to Prevent It
Mouth cancer is one of the most common types of cancers, with about 75% of all oral cancers being mouth cancer. The exact cause for mouth cancer is not known, but there are a number of risk factors that can increase a person’s chance of developing it.
One way to help prevent mouth cancer is to brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day. This will get rid of dental plaque and remove any food particles from in-between your teeth that could get stuck there and rot, potentially leading to mouth cancer. Drinking fluoridated water can also help prevent mouth cancer because fluoride will strengthen the enamel on your teeth which acts as a barrier for bacteria from getting into them and causing mouth cancer.
There are also a number of other things that can cause mouth cancer. For example, tobacco and alcohol abuse. The best way to prevent mouth cancer is to avoid these substances – but if you don’t want to stop drinking, smoking, or chewing tobacco entirely, the next best thing you can do is to drink in moderation.