Oral Cancer Screenings
At Cosmetic Dentists of Houston, we take oral cancer very seriously. We offer free oral cancer screenings to all of our patients. Dr. Amanda Canto travels to schools throughout Houston, Texas to educate kids about the relationship between oral cancer, HPV and oral sex. Education on oral cancer facts is a guaranteed method for preventative dental care.
Dr. Canto has developed the Oral Cancer Screening Initiative and the Oral Cancer Screening Directory USA to encourage dentists everywhere to offer free oral cancer screenings and oral cancer facts to their patients during routine dental exams.
Oral Cancer Facts You Need To Know
- Oral cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in the USA, especially among young people.
- The spread of oral cancer has been linked with oral sex and the HPV virus.
- Oral cancer affects more than 30,000 people in the US each year.
- Oral cancer is responsible for approximately 8,000 deaths each year (even more than melanoma or cervical cancer).
- Oral cancer can be treatable with early diagnosis: the survival rate for oral cancer is very high if detected early – up to 80% and the treatment and procedures for removal are much easier and less disfiguring the earlier it is detected.
- Oral Cancer can be deadly with delayed diagnosis: patients with advanced oral cancers have only a 19% survival rate.
Your Dentist Can Make a Difference!
The Oral Cancer Foundation states that:
Just doing ‘opportunistic’ cancer screenings of the existing patient population which visits a dental office every day, would yield tens of thousands of opportunities to catch oral cancer in its early stages.¹
Dr. Amanda Canto is trying to set a precedent for dentists across the country to offer oral cancer screening to their patients during routine check-ups. She believes that dentists can, and have the responsibility to significantly increase the survival rate of oral cancer by increasing the rate of early detection.
Learn more about Dr. Canto’s Oral Cancer Screening Initiative
Find a dentist near you using our Nationwide Oral Cancer Screening Directory
“Historically the death rate associated with this cancer is particularly high, not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development.”
Early Detection is Critical
Early detection, in the pre-malignant stage, is simple and painless and can be easily included in any dentist’s routine oral check-ups. Dr. Amanda Canto offers free oral cancer screenings to all of her patients and has developed a proactive approach to oral cancer detection.
Read more about OralID, a new oral cancer screening device which can help identify the earliest signs and abnormalities: Early Detection of Oral Cancer with OralID
Why Oral Cancer Facts Are So Important!
“Oral cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in the US – it kills one person out of every hour out of every day – and now it is affecting a younger and younger population…”
More Oral Cancer Info:
Oral Sex Linked to the Rise of Oral Cancer
At Cosmetic Dentists of Houston, we take oral cancer very seriously. Dr. Amanda Canto offers free oral cancer screenings and lectures to Houston school kids about the link between HPV and oral cancer and the increased risk of transmission through oral sex.
Oral Cancer Linked to HPV
Recent studies are linking increased exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV, or genital warts) – a very common sexually transmitted virus – with increased risk of oral cancer. HPV can be transmitted from person to person through any type of genital-to-genital contact as well as oral sex.¹ Exposure to the HPV virus is known to increase risk of cervical cancer in women, and now we understand that it also dramatically increases your risk for oral cancer.
Education and early detection are critical.
HPV and Oral Cancer: Get the Facts
Today, oral cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States, especially in the younger population, where it is believed to be increasing via HPV exposure.
It is estimated that 75% of the population is affected by the human papillomavirus at some point in their lives. Most people do not know they have it, or have ever had it.
Any prior infection with HPV-16 increases your risk for oral cancer by 9-fold, and a history of oral HPV increases risk for oral cancer 50-fold.
Who Is “At Risk” for Oral Cancer?
- Smokers and tobacco users of any kind (including snuff, chewing tobacco, pipes, cigars and cigarettes)
- Alcohol Users
- People with a previous history of oral cancer
- Populations exposed to HPV
- Everyone
What YOU Can Do:
- Learn more about oral cancer and HPV.
- Educate your children about the risks of exposure to HPV.
- Get screened regularly.
- Educate your dentist (if you have to!).
Younger Populations Are at Risk:
Previously, it was believed that 75% of oral cancer was found in people who were heavy smokers or alcohol users. However, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation:
“Younger, non-smoking patients under the age of 50 are the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer population….This HPV 16-18 presence, makes determination of at risk populations much more difficult, and opportunistic screening of ALL patients must become the norm if the death rate is to be reduced.
Learn More About Oral Cancer and HVP
Read Mt. Sinai Hospital’s Human HPV and Throat/Oral Cancer FAQ
Read the Genital HPV Infection Fact Sheet
More Oral Cancer Information:
Get Yourself Screened
In Houston? Call Cosmetic Dentists of Houston today at 713-622-1977 or email info@houstondental.com
to schedule a Free Oral Cancer Screening with Dr. Amanda Canto, DDS.
Out of Town? Visit our Nationwide Oral Cancer Screening Directory to find a dentist who offers free oral cancer screenings near you?
Centers for Disease and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm
Oral Cancer Foundation
Mount Sinai Hospital