Dental Health Could Help Prevent Oral Cancer

The notion of healthy living brings to most people’s minds ideas of fresh salads, fruit and plenty of exercise. Dental health, unlike relaxation techniques, is an area of healthy living that is frequently overlooked.

Destroying bacteria by daily brushing is not the most important aspect to oral hygiene. I mean taking regular trips to the dentist for an in-depth examination. Your dentist is the only person who can make an informed assessment as to the health of your mouth. With the increasing availability of affordable dental plans, dental check-ups should be easy for the majority of the population to schedule.

A dental examination will reveal potential gum infections, which ultimately could lead to other health problems. Over four hundred diagnoses of mouth cancer are made every month; over a hundred and fifty a month die from it.

Oropharyngeal and mouth cancer kill someone in the UK every five hours according to some very disturbing statistics. The fact that most of these deaths could have been prevented is tragic. More men die from mouth cancer than women. Cancer Research UK reports that while oral cancer mortality rates among men aged 75+ have fallen by more than sixty percent during the last 30 years, mouth cancer mortality rates for men aged 45-64 have increased by an alarming sixty nine percent during the same period. There are several types of mouth cancer including lip cancer and tongue cancer, as well as different types of treatments. To ensure that patients receive the best treatment possible, many available treatments are still being trialled.

Do not underestimate the importance of regular dental check-ups. The dentist can detect unhealthy oral symptoms. It’s well established that mortality rates for oral cancer can be reduced if early detection is made. In fact, survival chances can be more than 90% if symptoms are detected early enough, and treatment in most cases will be covered under the terms of your dental insurance.

The chances of contracting some form of oral cancer are increased if you drink too much alcohol or smoke. Symptoms include mouth ulcers that do not heal, red and white patches inside the mouth or unusual lumps or swellings.

The chances of contracting oral cancer are reduced by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Chewing tobacco and smoking are two of the biggest threats. The more fruit, vegetables, fish and eggs you eat the less the chances of contracting mouth cancer.

More and more of those people who contract mouth cancer do not display the risk factors normally associated with the condition. To live a healthy life you should not only visit the dentist regularly but should also look at your teeth each time you brush them. Buying dental insurance will help to ease the financial burden of both routine treatments and emergency dental care. Failure to do so could put your life at risk.

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