I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about oral cancer, right? It is simply a type of cancer that attacks the mouth. If you happen to notice any signs of cancerous cells on your lips, the lower parts of your mouth, the cheek lining or even the palate. This would indicate that you are likely to suffer from oral cancer.
The oral cancer is also among the top four cancer types and things like too much consumption of both alcohol and tobacco facilitated its development. It can also be transmitted through sexual activities via an infection known as the human papilloma.
This is why you need to be visiting your Greenbelt dentist on a regular basis so that you can have the oral cancer exam done to you. It would be unfortunate if you become a victim but you need to seek medical attention as soon as you find out.
Otherwise, if you still do not have it, it will only be wise that you get to know how to take care of yourself. You can ensure that you stay away from oral cancer via many ways and below are some of them.
7 Tips to Prevent Oral Cancer
1. Oral hygiene
It is always an important thing if you get to maintain a good oral health. Good oral health means brushing and flossing your teeth on a daily basis. You need to know that having an unhealthy mouth will only provide a suitable environment for germs and other infections to breed.
Most studies show that the Human Papillomavirus is among the leading causes of this disease. Also, having an uncleaned oral cavity is not good for your health. It affects your body’s immune system thus making your body weak to be able to defend itself from potential infections.
2. Betel nuts or Paan
Do you know what else is in the top charts when it comes to oral cancer in India? Chewing the Betel nut. These things should be avoided at all costs whether in processed or raw form.
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Paan is betel leaves prepared in another way using the Areca nuts. People can sometimes make it using tobacco. This is another thing that has will also put you at a high risk of developing oral cancer. By avoiding the nuts, you just might be saving your life and those you care about.
3. Stay away from tobacco
Do I really need to talk about this? Ever since you were a kid, both your parents and teachers have been warning you not to involve yourself with tobacco.
Those who chew tobacco are usually at a great risk of developing oral cavity cancer and this is why it is an important decision to stay away from tobacco. This habit should not be encouraged as it poses an extensive threat to a person. It therefore needs to stop.
4. Say No to smoking
Most smokers would often say that people just hate on them and that they really see nothing wrong with smoking. Others might even be aware of the potential risk but would gladly ignore the warning saying that they are in control.
Well, funny thing, however, is, up to 90% of those usually diagnosed with oral cancer were smokers at one point in their lives. It might not be too late to reduce your chances of developing oral cancer or even minimize the damages it might cause by quitting to smoke.
It is obvious that if you quit smoking for about 10 years or more, your chances of developing oral cancer can reduce by about 50%. You can also follow this link and see what else you need to do to prevent oral cancer.
5. Exposure to the sunlight
In as much as we all need the sunlight for its popular vitamin, it is also dangerous when you get exposed to it for too long. Using sunscreen alone might not help as this only makes you focus on the skin. Therefore forgetting about other parts of your body like the lips.
Continuous exposure to the sun for a long time can increase your chances of developing oral cancer, especially on your lower lip. However, you can still stay safe by using a UV-A/B-blocking sun protection products for your lips and avoid becoming a victim of this disease.
Conclusion
Going for a regular dental visit should be among your top priorities as this can even affect your overall health. Make sure that you get an oral cancer exam done for you. Let your dentist guide you on what to do. I hope these few tips will be able to help you to keep oral cancer at bay.
