Recent Study Highlights the Importance of Routine Care for Oral Cancer Prevention

Two years into the pan­dem­ic, rou­tine health vis­its have become more impor­tant than ever. That includes den­tal visits.

New stud­ies pub­lished in The Jour­nal of the Amer­i­can Den­tal Asso­ci­a­tion empha­size the impor­tance of reg­u­lar den­tal vis­its in the pre­ven­tion of oral can­cer. New research finds that pan­dem­ic-dri­ven behav­iors – such as high­er tobac­co and alco­hol use, poor diet, poor oral hygiene, and delayed den­tal care – may increase the risk of oral can­cer. As a result, the study sug­gests more peo­ple may be diag­nosed at a lat­er stage, mak­ing treat­ment more difficult.

Quin­cy Med­ical Group (QMG) Oral Sur­geon Dr. Erin Sheffield stat­ed, ​“The pan­dem­ic has tak­en a toll on all of us. Changes in rou­tine, increased anx­i­ety, bore­dom, and changes in access to health and den­tal care have all had an impact. There has been an increase in tobac­co use, alco­hol use, and over­all increase in poor health care habits such as poor diet and exer­cise dur­ing the pan­dem­ic as well as decreased HPV vac­ci­na­tion in teens. All of these can increase the risk of oral can­cer in the short term, but more impor­tant­ly, over a life­time if these habits stick.”

Many cas­es of oral can­cer can be pre­vent­ed through rou­tine den­tal vis­its and healthy lifestyle choices.

“The most obvi­ous way to pre­vent oral can­cer is to stay away from tobac­co prod­ucts. And if you com­bine tobac­co use with alco­hol, they have a syn­er­gis­tic effect on increas­ing your oral can­cer risk,” she said.

Anoth­er way to pre­vent the dis­ease is through the Human Papil­lo­mavirus, or HPV, vac­ci­na­tion. Dr. Sheffield said that the HPV vac­cine is rec­om­mend­ed for girls and boys between ages 11 and 12.

“One of the most effec­tive, easy, and impor­tant ways to pro­tect your­self and your chil­dren is through the HPV vac­ci­na­tion,” Dr. Sheffield shared. ​“This vac­cine can lit­er­al­ly pre­vent can­cer. HPV-relat­ed oral can­cers are on the rise and in healthy young peo­ple who have nev­er smoked.”

Dr. Sheffield added that it’s also impor­tant to be aware of the signs and symp­toms of oral cancer.

“Keep an eye on your mouth. Look in the mir­ror, check your gums and your tongue. If you have any white or red patch­es or sores that don’t resolve in two weeks these should be checked by your den­tist. Mon­i­tor for changes and see your den­tist every six months.”

For more infor­ma­tion on Oral and Max­illo­fa­cial Surgery at QMG, vis­it https://​quin​cymed​group​.com/med….