{"id":119,"date":"2023-04-18T15:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T15:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/?p=119"},"modified":"2023-04-23T16:02:58","modified_gmt":"2023-04-23T16:02:58","slug":"importance-of-oral-cancer-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/2023\/04\/18\/importance-of-oral-cancer-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Recognize Oral Cancer Awareness Month This April!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Doctor-holding-up-red-and-white-ribbon-for-oral-cancer-awareness-1024x731.jpeg\" alt=\"Doctor holding up red and white ribbon for oral cancer awareness\" class=\"wp-image-120\" width=\"293\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Doctor-holding-up-red-and-white-ribbon-for-oral-cancer-awareness-1024x731.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Doctor-holding-up-red-and-white-ribbon-for-oral-cancer-awareness-300x214.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Doctor-holding-up-red-and-white-ribbon-for-oral-cancer-awareness-768x548.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Doctor-holding-up-red-and-white-ribbon-for-oral-cancer-awareness-1536x1097.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Doctor-holding-up-red-and-white-ribbon-for-oral-cancer-awareness-2048x1462.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 293px) 100vw, 293px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>April is often associated with the first signs of warmer weather, Easter, and spring break. However, this month is important for another reason: it\u2019s Oral Cancer Awareness Month! Since roughly 54,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed this year alone, it\u2019s crucial to spread important information, like the risk factors, symptoms, and where to get oral cancer screenings. Fortunately, we\u2019re sharing all of that right here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Most Common Risk Factors of Oral Cancer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although oral cancer affects all different types of people, there are certain risk factors that make someone more likely to develop oral cancer, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Gender (males are more likely to develop oral cancer)<\/li><li>Age<\/li><li>Tobacco use<\/li><li>Excessive alcohol consumption<\/li><li>Human papillomavirus (HPV)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7 Symptoms to Keep an Eye Out For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Oral cancer can present itself in several different ways. In order to catch it in the earliest stages, it\u2019s important to be aware of the symptoms and notify your dentist the moment any arise, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>A sore that doesn\u2019t heal<\/li><li>White or red patches in your mouth<\/li><li>Pain or numbness on your lips or in your mouth<\/li><li>A lump or rough area<\/li><li>Trouble chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw<\/li><li>A change in your bite<\/li><li>The feeling that something is caught in your throat<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to get an oral cancer screening periodically. That way, a trained professional can keep an eye out for the previously mentioned symptoms as well as several others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Good News: Your Biannual Dental Checkups Include an Oral Cancer Screening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know that a portion of your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">biannual dental exam<\/a> is dedicated to screening for oral cancer? It\u2019s true! In addition to checking the condition of your teeth, gums, and any existing restorations, your dentist takes the time to examine the back of your throat, your tongue, and the lining of your mouth. If they see anything worrisome, they will bring it to your attention and guide you through the next steps. That way, it\u2019s addressed in the early stages, before it has a chance to progress further. So, if it\u2019s been 6+ months since your last checkup and cleaning, schedule your next one soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/dr-abernethy-cumberland-general-dentist.html\">Dr. Abernethy<\/a> leading the way, patients in Cumberland can turn to our team at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/\">Diamond Hill Dental<\/a> for everything from their six-month checkups to essential restorative dentistry. If you\u2019re interested in the former, then you\u2019ll be happy to know that we complete an oral cancer screening at each checkup. That way, we can catch any suspicious growths or sores as early as possible, protecting your oral and overall health in the process. If you would like to schedule your next checkup or you have a question about oral cancer, don\u2019t hesitate to visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/contact.html\">website<\/a> or call <strong>(401) 333-2700<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>April is often associated with the first signs of warmer weather, Easter, and spring break. However, this month is important for another reason: it\u2019s Oral Cancer Awareness Month! Since roughly 54,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed this year alone, it\u2019s crucial to spread important information, like the risk factors, symptoms, and where to get [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}