Oral Cancer

One of the most common cancer is oral cancer. There were 35,000 new cases reported annually in the United States resulting in 7600 deaths reported in 2009. Tobacco use, excessive sun exposure, and alcohol consumption have been found to increase the risk of developing oral cancer. If not diagnosed and treated in its early stages, oral cancer can spread, leading to chronic pain, loss of oral function, irreparable facial and oral disfigurement following surgery, and even death. It's important ot regularly visist your dentist so he or she can perform a screening for oral cancer.