April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Oral and pharyngeal cancer (cancer of the mouth and upper throat) collectively kill nearly on person every hour, and in recent years, people without traditional risk factors associated with oral cancer have been experiencing an increase in occurrences. With only 60 percent of all those diagnosed with the cancer living longer than 5 years, everyone should be getting screened this April. At our office in Fairfield, CT, we take oral cancer seriously, and we are dedicated to keeping all of our patients safe with thorough screenings.

While everyone is at risk for oral cancer, certain factors can increase your risk of developing the disease. Lifestyle choices, such as heavy drinking or smoking, can greatly affect the health of tissues in the mouth, so those that partake in these activities. If oral abnormalities are caught early, it will not only expand your treatment options, including less invasive and less radical treatments, but it will also increase your chances of beating oral cancer. 

Screening for oral cancer can be done during your routine checkup by Dr. Keith Rudolph, and this month is the perfect time to come in. This Oral Cancer Awareness month, the dentist can look for abnormal or suspicious tissue in your mouth, and if the dentist thinks it might be cancer, he will order a biopsy.

Oral cancer is a serious issue, and we are all at risk. To schedule an appointment, call 203-930-1214. For more information on the dentist or his services, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com.