How and Why Dentists Screen For Oral Cancer
Attending regular dental checkups is more important than you think. Not only are regular dental checkups essential for preventing and arresting tooth decay and gum disease, they’re also the perfect time to undergo oral cancer screening in Yaletown. Why is oral cancer screening important? According to the Canadian Cancer Society, approximately 5,400 Canadians were diagnosed with oral cancers affecting the lips, tongue and floor of mouth. Approximately 1,500 Canadians died from oral cancer in 2020. Early detection of oral cancer is essential to effective treatment. When oral cancers are not detected until they have spread beyond the oral cavity, the five-year survival rates are just 48% (for lip cancers), 63% (for tongue cancers) and 38% (for cancers affecting the floor of your mouth). On the other hand, early detection by undergoing oral cancer screening near you, improves those five-year survival rates to an astounding extent: to 93% (for lip cancers), 78% (for tongue cancers...