Oral Cancer Screenings

Over 48,000 people in the United States will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer this year. These numbers are alarming and are continuing to increase. The American Dental Association has made it a priority to raise awareness about the disease as many patient are diagnosed late due to lack of knowledge or because the symptoms are associated with another type of complication. Oral cancer continues to affect the high-risk population like smokers and tobacco users but is also affecting the younger generation due to the link between the cancer and the HPV virus.

What are the symptoms of oral cancer?

Studies show that oral cancer is allowed to advance because it is either asymptomatic so that the patient has no clue that the cancer exists or because the symptoms are so common that they are mistaken for something else. This is why dentist are encouraging patients to get routine oral cancer screenings throughout the year in order to properly detect and diagnose the oral cancer before it is too late. Common oral cancer symptoms include:

Lumps or bumps in the mouth tissues
Soreness of the throat
Unexplained mouth bleeding or bleeding of the gums
Sores on the face, neck or mouth
Difficulty chewing or swallowing

Symptoms of oral cancer are also not only limited to those mentioned above. We encourage you to visit Dr. Muradian routinely for an oral cancer screening in order to be sure that there is nothing to worry about. Early detection is key in surviving the deadly disease. Help us spread awareness by telling your friend and family to get screened as well. We look forwarding to hearing from you!