Skip to main content

Oral Cancer Awareness Month

This April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. At Healthy Smiles Family Dental, located in Salem, OR, Drs. Na Xu and Mark Thomas want to help keep your mouth healthy and happy. That’s why besides coming in for your bi-annual visits, we encourage you to be proactive about your oral health. Prevention is the key to a healthy and long life. If you have any strange anomalies in your mouth, don’t wait to make an appointment.


 


If anything new or strange appears in your mouth, and it doesn’t go away after 2-3 weeks, make an appointment. This is often an indicator of something more serious going on. Even more so if this problem is reoccurring. Be on the lookout for these symptoms:


 


Sores that take over 14 days to heal, strange coloring of the soft tissue, abnormalities that bleed easily, bumps or hard spots in the mouth, and a lump on the outside of the neck that has been there for at least two weeks.


 


When it comes to HPV-caused oropharyngeal cancer, symptoms may vary. In this case, a patient might experience a sore throat or hoarseness, constant coughing, lump on the neck, problems swallowing, or an ache in one or both ears.


 


There are a lot of risk factors for oral cancer. The biggest ones are heavy drinking and smoking. Chewing tobacco is also extremely bad for your mouth. Another big risk factor is contracting the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus 16.


 


If you have any or all of these symptoms, make an appointment with Healthy Smiles Family Dental ASAP. We are located in Salem, OR. To schedule an appointment with Drs. Na Xu and Mark Thomas, visit our website or call 503-385-1185.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What You Should Know About Periodontal Disease

10 comments
Read more

Benefits of Teeth Whitening

Teeth become discolored by the foods we eat, the beverages we consume, and from lifestyle factors such as smoking, or taking certain medications. Discoloration is a natural part of life but when a patient desires a whiter smile, teeth whitening or bleaching can improve the color of teeth by several shades. At Healthy Smiles Family Dental, Dr. Na Xu gives patients the option to whiten in-office, or in the comfort of his or her own home. Teeth bleaching is one of the most common dental procedures that is performed across the country. Once the teeth become brighter, a person will feel a boost in his or her self-esteem and may desire to smile more than ever before. After scheduling a consultation to decide if whitening is right for you, Dr. Xu will either recommend whitening at home, with custom trays that will be created for you in the office, or laser whitening. If you have questions or concerns regarding teeth whitening or bleaching, please give us a call. To learn about services provid...
19 comments
Read more

Gum Disease Stage 2: Periodontitis

When gingivitis is left untreated, it will advance to periodontitis. Periodontitis is inflammation of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. When periodontitis is left untreated, teeth can eventually fall out. Our doctors at Healthy Smiles Family Dental want patients to keep their permanent teeth for a lifetime, which is why we encourage all of them to take preventive measures when it comes to oral health. Periodontitis is caused by the build-up of bacteria in the form of dental plaque. The best way to avoid plaque build-up is by keeping the teeth as clean as possible by brushing at least twice a day for two minutes and flossing at least once a day. As inflammation progresses in the gums, it will cause the gums to recede and the tooth roots to become exposed. This will cause pain, sensitivity, and soreness. Healthy gums are firm and pink in color, if your gums don’t fall into this category, schedule an appointment, today. If you have questions or concerns regarding periodonta...
13 comments
Read more