{"id":13634,"date":"2019-04-17T04:35:38","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T04:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/blog\/?p=13634"},"modified":"2026-01-08T19:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T19:39:08","slug":"a-dentist-says-dont-wait-to-be-screened-for-oral-cancer-in-arlington-heights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/blog\/2019\/04\/17\/a-dentist-says-dont-wait-to-be-screened-for-oral-cancer-in-arlington-heights\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dentist Says Don\u2019t Wait To Be Screened For Oral Cancer In Arlington Heights!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/image-2019-04-24-1.jpg\" alt=\"Someone holding a card that reads, &quot;Oral Cancer&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-13635\" width=\"364\" height=\"241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/image-2019-04-24-1.jpg 448w, https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/image-2019-04-24-1-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 364px) 100vw, 364px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 9,000 women and 21,000 men receive an oral cancer diagnosis every year. But the good news is that this disease is highly treatable when it\u2019s caught early. In fact, with early detection, the survival rate is 85-90%. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to get regular screenings for oral cancer in Arlington Heights. What\u2019s the easiest way to do that? Schedule a checkup! In this blog, you\u2019ll learn about the most common causes of oral cancer and find out how simple a screening is. Find out more below! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Risk Factors? &nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sadly, oral cancer rates have increased in recent years. And\ndentists and doctors have been surprised that it\u2019s even being found in young\npeople who don\u2019t smoke. Here are the most common risk factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Smoking or using chewing tobacco<\/li><li>A weakened immune system<\/li><li>HPV<\/li><li>Age<\/li><li>Heavy drinking <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Oral cancer often affects the tissues inside the mouth such\nas the tongue or back of the throat. However, there\u2019s also a type of skin\ncancer called melanoma that occurs on the border of the lips, so it\u2019s important\nto regularly wear lip balm that has sun protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can You Expect From a Screening? &nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best things about an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/preventive-dentistry.html\">oral\ncancer screening<\/a> is that it\u2019s non-invasive and simple. Not to mention convenient\nsince you\u2019re at the dentist twice a year anyway! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A dentist and hygienist will both begin by simply looking\nclosely at your lips, cheeks, throat, palate, and under your tongue. They may\nalso gently palpate your neck and under your jaw to see if there are any lumps,\nbumps, or tender areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may also be asked if you\u2019ve had any of the following\nsymptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Stiffness or pain in the jaw. <\/li><li>A chronic sore throat.<\/li><li>A lump or bump that\u2019s developed recently. <\/li><li>A feeling that something is stuck in your\nthroat. <\/li><li>Any sores or lesions that haven\u2019t healed on\ntheir own within two weeks.<\/li><li>Trouble chewing or swallowing. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And, while it\u2019s easy to panic if you notice any of these\nsigns, remember that there are many non-cancerous conditions that can look\nsimilar, such as cold sores, canker sores, or benign lumps of fatty tissue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With modern healthcare, treatment is better than ever. And with regular checkups, you\u2019ll automatically be screened to make sure potential issues are found as early as possible!\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Regarded by patients and peers alike as one of the best\ndentists in Arlington Heights, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/scott-christian-dds.html\">Dr. Scott\nChristian<\/a> is dedicated to providing thorough, comprehensive dentistry, including\noral cancer screenings at each checkup. He also takes the time to educate his\npatients on the risk factors and what they can do to minimize those risks. If\nyou have any other questions about oral cancer or would like to schedule a\ncheckup, he can be reached through his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/contact.html\">website.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 9,000 women and 21,000 men receive an oral cancer diagnosis every year. But the good news is that this disease is highly treatable when it\u2019s caught early. In fact, with early detection, the survival rate is 85-90%. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to get regular screenings for [&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":[],"class_list":["post-13634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Dentist Says Don\u2019t Wait To Be Screened For Oral Cancer In Arlington Heights!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, it\u2019s a great time to find out why you shouldn\u2019t wait to be screened for oral cancer in Arlington Heights.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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