The importance of a thorough oral exam on semi-annual basis is imperative. Oral cancer screenings are more often than not only performed in a dental office. While a primary care physician checks your nose and throat at physicals, many areas of the mouth go unchecked and can be hidden by a tongue depressor.
What causes oral cancer?
Oral cancer occurs when the cells on your lips or in your mouth develop mutations in their DNA. The mutations allow cancer cells to grow and divide when healthy cells would die.
Mouth cancers begin in the flat, thin cells that line your lips and the inside of your mouth. Common areas of cancerous lesions are:
• Inside of the cheeks
• Floor of the mouth
• Hard or Soft palate
• Lip
• Tongue
It is unclear what causes the mutations in the cells that lead to mouth cancer. Factors that may increase the risk of mouth cancer include but are not limited to:
• Tobacco use of ANY kind
• Heavy alcohol use
• Excessive sun exposure to your lips
• History of cancer
• HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) Carriers
