The Importance of Oral Cancer Screenings

Drs. Stephen and Jonathan Solomon, of Putnam, CT, provide oral cancer screenings to prevent and/or detect oral cancer. "Close to 53,000 Oral_CancerAmericans will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 9,750 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 53,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years," according to The Oral Cancer Foundation.

More About Oral Screenings

Oral cancer examinations are fast and painless and detects early stages of cancer. Your Putnam dentist uses visual and tactile means to search soft tissue lining, lips and tongue. A small tissue sample is taken to a laboratory for further testing if your dentist finds any abnormalities.

Detecting Oral Cancer

Oral cancer affects those over 40, and although it was once thought of as an older person's disease, that's not actually the case. Younger people are the fastest-growing group diagnosed with oral cancer because of sexually-transmitted Human Papilloma Virus.

Major risk factors include:

  • Age
  • Moderate to heavy drinker
  • Long-time tobacco user
  • Chronic exposure to the sun
  • Genetic factors

Sores and/or other unusual changes that don't go away on their own after 2-3 weeks, should be examined. During your routine dental checkup your dentist will check for:

  • red or white patches or unusual sores
  • lumps and swellings
  • abnormal sores
  • discoloration of tissue in your mouth, lips, and tongue

Your dentist also uses a special light or dye to check for any suspicious areas. If anything appears out of the ordinary, a biopsy is performed to evaluate if it's benign or malignant.

Consultation

Oral cancer is as serious as any other cancer. Drs. Stephen and Jonathan Solomon, of Putnam, CT, provide oral cancer screenings to prevent and/or detect oral cancer. If you have any questions or concerns, just call (860) 928-6533 today!

Dentist serving Putnam, Killingly, Pomfret, Woodstock, Thomspon, and Windham County, CT
Stephen A. Solomon, D.M.D. & Jonathan A. Solomon, D.M.D. 189 Kennedy Dr., Putnam, CT 06260 (860) 928-6533
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