Oral Cancer Screening in Surbiton

Oral cancer is a serious medical condition. But when detected early by your Surbiton dentist, the prognosis could be good. Among cancers, oral cancer is considered to be ideal in terms of early detection.

Symptoms of an oral cancer include the presence of a painless ulcer, abnormal growth or white/red patch in the mouth that does not clear up even after two weeks.

People at risk for oral cancer are those who:

• Use tobacco (smoking or chewing)
• Consume alcohol (30 or more drinks in a week)
• Expose themselves to too much sunlight
• Aged 40 years old and above
• Unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle
• Family history

Detection of oral cancer can be done by your Surbiton dentist early. A regular visit will involve the through examination of your mouth and throat as well as palpation of the neck to look for any swollen lymph nodes. Right now, visual inspections as well as cytology are the two most important methods in diagnosing oral cancer.

Early detection by your Surbiton dentist will increase the chance of responding to treatment. In the UK, 4,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer each year and nearly half of them die because of late detection and treatment.

Of course, prevention is important and your Surbiton dentist will recommend the following:

– Healthy diet
– Regular exercise
– Avoid smoking and drinking

Over three quarters of mouth or oral cancer can actually be prevented with the removal of alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking. There is actually a 50 percent reduction of the risk 3 to 5 years after the smoking and drinking stopped.