Skip to main content

Counter Back Oral Cancer



Oral cancer is the 11th most common cancer in the world while India alone accounts for one-fifth of all oral cancer cases and one-fourth of all oral cancer related deaths. Oral cancers include cancers of the lips, tongue, gums, floor of the mouth, cheeks & palate (roof of the mouth). Tobacco use, in any form, excessive alcohol consumption, dietary deficiencies are the major risk factors implicated in oral cancer while environmental influences & HPV virus also act as causative agents in few cancers.    
Preventing tobacco and alcohol use with lifestyle & dietary modifications can potentially prevent the vast majority of oral cancers. When primary prevention fails, visual screening of the oral cavity is accurate in detecting precancerous changes & developing cancer lesions. This leads to early diagnosis & initiation of prompt treatment thereby reducing to deaths related to oral cancer.
Be MOUTH AWARE. A chronic source of irritation in the mouth like sharp broken tooth or tooth roots, jagged fillings should be treated. Do not ignore any ulcer which does not heal within 3 weeks. Abnormalities in the look (thickening) or texture of any part of mouth should be minded. Any red, white or dark patches, symptomatic or asymptomatic present for a long time must be brought into notice of dentist. Look out for any lump or swelling present on the sides of neck, tongue, roof & floor of the mouth, inner areas of cheeks or lips & jaws. A long standing sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, ear ache with no explainable causes also demands a visit to your doctor.
This is essential as early cancer is painless & often goes undetected. Being vigilant about your mouth may significantly help in early diagnosis as oral cancer is a highly preventable disease and also very much treatable, if caught early. Have an oral cancer screening by your dentist at regular check-ups. Avoid tobacco in any form & limit the alcohol consumption. Lastly, maintain a healthy lifestyle & eating a well balanced diet that has protective effects can reduce the risk of oral cancer.




                                                                                                                                   Dr. Nandika Babele
                                                                                                           BDS, MDS
                                                                    Oral Physician & Maxillofacial Radiologist


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bad Breath - Causes & Treatment  Bad breath or halitosis could be really nasty at times. It occurs transiently post waking up in the morning due to stagnation of saliva & reduced fluid intake or after consumption of foods like garlic, onions, radish, spices and also tobacco, betel nut and alcohol. The resulting breath takes on a different odour that may last for several hours. Apart from this chronic oral malodour could be a sign of either the dental causes or underlying systemic conditions. Dental causes include poor oral hygiene, dental infections, pyorrhoea, ulcers or oral mucosal lesions. Systemic causes mostly include cases originating from ENT (ear, nose & throat) areas like inflammation in tonsils (tonsillitis), nose (rhinitis), sinus (sinusitis) & pharynx (pharyngitis), upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) & lower respiratory tract infections like chronic bronchitis, lung abscess, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and pneumonia. Gastric & ...
Post a Comment
Read more
Pregnancy & Periodontitis Periodontitis, also generally called  gum disease  or pyorrhoea, begins with bacterial growth in the mouth  and may end -- if not properly treated -- with  tooth  loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your  teeth . It begins initially with inflammation of gums (gingivitis) and slowly progresses to involve the supporting structures of teeth thereby leading to periodontitis. A number of factors are responsible for this viz. poor oral hygiene, habits like tobacco & smoking, systemic illness like diabetes, hormonal changes like pregnancy.             Of these, the association between periodontitis & pregnancy outcomes is long been studied and documented. There has been mounting scientific evidence suggesting that periodontal disease may play an important role as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm...
Post a Comment
Read more
Teeth  Cleaning: Good or Bad? Teeth cleaning is also known as Scaling or Polishing of teeth in dental terminology. It is a procedure that involves removal of plaque & calculus (tartar) from the tooth surface in order to prevent the onset or subsequent progression of gum disease. Plaque & calculus deposit over tooth surface as a result of multiple reasons like not brushing the teeth, improper brushing, mal alignment of teeth, smoking etc among others. They harbour bacteria & bacterial products which over time lead to irritation & inflammation of gums thereby leading to gingivitis. If allowed to progress it further leads to the loss of surrounding connective tissues that attach the gums to the teeth and bone, this is known as periodontitis. The consequences of which includes swollen & bleeding gums, bad breath, pus discharge, tooth mobility & subsequently tooth loss. Thus, tooth loss is basically a consequence of plaque deposition rather than...
Post a Comment
Read more