Oral Cancer Screening

If you are one of the millions of people who watch the Dr. Oz Show, you may have seen a segment on the importance of receiving a screening for oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, each year in the U.S. alone, approximately 36,000 individuals are newly diagnosed with oral cancer. A startling fact is that the death rate from oral cancer is very high- about 43% of those diagnosed will not survive more than five years. Although these facts are very alarming, early detection leads to higher survival rates.

You may know that certain risk factors such as tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption and unprotected sun exposure can contribute to oral cancer. But did you know that increasing numbers of young, non-smoking individuals are being diagnosed with oral cancer? According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, the most likely causative factor is HPV16 viral infection, the same virus that is responsible for more than 95% of all cervical cancers.

At Roselle Park Dental, our oral cancer screening is painless, quick and inexpensive. We conduct oral cancer screenings for our patients once per year. We incorporate our oral cancer screening into our patients' routine cleanings and check ups. For more information about our oral cancer screening, please visit our Website.