Oral Cancer
Part of our job at Meadow Creek Dental Issaquah is to protect you from oral cancer. This cancer makes up less than five percent of cancer cases in the country, but compared to many of the more common cancers it has a surprisingly high death rate.
Possible Risk Factors
You can take steps to avoid these cancers by living a healthy lifestyle, which starts by being mindful of these risk factors:
- Men account for 70% of oral cancer cases, with men over fifty being at the highest risk.
- Users of tobacco have a substantially higher risk factor for oral cancer. This includes tobacco smoked in a pipe, cigarette, or cigar, as well as smokeless chewing tobacco or snuffs.
- Excessive alcohol consumption greatly increases your risk, particularly if you also smoke.
- Sun exposure can lead to oral cancer developing on your lips.
- An unbalanced diet, particularly one that is low in vitamin A, can increase your risk of oral cancer.
- A family history of cancer can always be indicative of a higher cancer risk.
Oral Cancer Screening at Meadow Creek Dental Issaquah
The high death rate of oral cancer can be largely attributed to too many cases being discovered at a late stage. If you’re a high risk for oral cancer, talk to our dentist at Meadow Creek Dental and take care to get your regular screenings.
