Our Causes and Charities

Smokeless does not mean Harmless
ORAL CANCER SCREENINGS

Dr. Markus is a member of the Crown Council, a national organization of dental practitioners committed to promoting good oral health through a variety of community-based charitable activities.  Crown Council and NSTEP(National Spit Tobacco Education Program) are this year sponsoring a national cancer awareness campaign with the 160-member teams in Minor League Baseball.  The campaign promotes greater  awareness about the dangers of smokeless or “spit” tobacco use and its close association with oral cancer.  It also encourages those who are at risk for oral cancer to see a dentist who can perform the simple, yet potentially life-saving, screening.

Oral cancer, the sixth most common cancer, accounts for about 4 percent of all cancers diagnosed, with roughly 40,000 new cases reported annually. Between 8,000 and 9,000 Americans will die each year, more than cervical cancer or malignant melanoma. Sadly, the five-year survival rate is only 50 percent. If oral cancer is detected and diagnosed after it has already spread to other parts of the body, the survival rate drops to only 19 percent. With early detection, however, the survival rate increases to 80 percent.

Here at The Centre for Dentistry at Haddon, the dentists and hygienists routinely examine every patient at their check-up appointments.  We check for tissue changes throughout your mouth, specifically looking for any sores or discolored areas.  It is a simple, non-invasive observation and palpation examination.

We have recently implemented an early detection system called Oral CDx, or brush biopsy test.  Previously, suspicious areas were either watched or subjected to an invasive scalpel biopsy for diagnosis.  The brush biopsy can be performed chairside and only a small sampling of cells is taken and examined by the laboratory.  Common benign-appearing oral lesions may often be malignant or pre-cancerous.  This test is a simple procedure to determine the significance of oral lesions, to confirm their benign nature or identify cancerous or pre-cancerous lesions, even when they appear harmless.  Benign areas can be periodically re-tested, while cancerous lesions will need further examination by an oral surgeon.  The availability of this method for the detection of oral cancer at early, curable stages should greatly reduce the unacceptably high, oral cancer mortality rates.

Scientists aren’t sure of the exact cause of oral cancer.  However, the carcinogens in tobacco products, alcohol and certain foods, as well as excessive exposure to the sun, have been found to increase the risk of developing oral cancer.  Risk factors for oral cancer may also be genetically inherited. 

Risk factors or not, you can rest easy knowing that your mouth is being thoroughly examined at each recare visit.  This screening is equally as important as an annual Pap Smear to detect cervical cancer and a PSA test to check for prostate cancer.  It’s just one more reason why you need to see your dentist for regular examinations.