Oral, or mouth cancer is a condition where a tumor develops within the mouth, often on the tongue, lips or gums. There is no proven way to prevent the conditioning from affecting you but there are a number of steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing the condition. That’s what we are going to discuss today.
There are three main types of oral cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, oral malignant melanoma and adenocarcinomas. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent, with the other two being less common. These cancers occur when the usual process of cell division goes wrong. This change in the process can be genetic and out of our control or caused by our lifestyle, which is within our control.
Reducing the risk of oral cancer
There are five main ways you can lower the chances of your developing mouth cancer or any cancer. As the causes are similar in many types of the condition, the preventive measures are the same.
Stop smoking
Smoking is by far the most damaging lifestyle choice you can make for a multitude of reasons. One reason is that it is known to interrupt the normal cell lifecycle. Chemicals used within tobacco are known to expose cells to dangerous levels of harmful compounds that considerably raises the chances of developing many types of cancer.
It’s important to note that tobacco in any form has this effect. Whether you smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars or even chew tobacco, you’re at risk.
Drink in moderation
Alcohol can be beneficial in some respects, especially wine, but only if taken in moderation. If you cannot avoid alcohol altogether, controlling your intake can seriously improve our chances of avoiding cancer. Alcohol irritates cells within the mouth that can leave them vulnerable to mouth cancer. Reducing intake reduces the irritation, thus reducing your exposure to risk.
Eat a varied diet
A diet heavy in fruit and fresh vegetables provides your body with the nutrients it needs to fight disease and stay healthy. Fresh fruit and vegetables also contain antioxidants that help fight cancers and essential vitamins and minerals to rebuild healthy cells. It really is that simple.
Avoid excessive exposure to the sun
The link between UV light in the sun’s rays and cancer is well known. Avoiding excessive exposure of your lips to the sun helps prevent oral cancer developing there. Use a hat if you can, or sunblock if you’re out in the sun. There are plenty of lip products on the market that contain UV protection. Use them.
Visit your dentist regularly
It simply isn’t possible to prevent cancer altogether, so regular visits to your dentist should become part of your routine. If you do develop a condition, we can catch it early enough to treat. We at Aesthetic Family Dentistry also have an early detection system called the Velscope which allows us to detect areas of concern even sooner. Treated early enough, oral cancer is completely treatable so we cannot emphasize the importance of regular checkups enough!
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