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The Academy of General Dentistry has offered advice about oral cancer prior to the launch of Oral Cancer Awareness Month, which will take place in April.
Statistics from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention show that there are around 30,000 new cases of oral cancer every year in the USA and 8,000 deaths as a result of the disease.
The AGD has urged patients to attend regular check-ups to reduce their risk of developing oral cancer, with most dentists advising patients to visit every six months for a routine examination. Dentists are ideally placed to spot the early warning signs of oral cancer, which include red or white patches in the mouth, slow-healing sores and abnormal lumps in the mouth or throat and the earlier the condition is detected, the higher the chance of survival.
Spokesman for the AGD, Seung-Hee Rhee, said that dentists will check for signs and symptoms of oral cancer during a routine examination and they can arrange further tests and subsequent treatment at an early stage, when the disease is much more treatable.
Risk factors for oral cancer include smoking, drinking alcohol and exposure to the HPV (human papilloma virus).
Dr Rhee said that early detection is essential for improving survival rates and it is therefore important that people are aware of the causes and symptoms of oral cancer.
