{"id":304,"date":"2024-04-09T20:36:07","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T20:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sunrisedentalsmile.com\/blog\/?p=304"},"modified":"2024-05-15T20:36:20","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T20:36:20","slug":"what-you-should-know-about-oral-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sunrisedentalsmile.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/09\/what-you-should-know-about-oral-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Oral Cancer Awareness Month: What You Should Know About this Deadly Condition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In case it isn\u2019t marked on your calendar, you should know that April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. This is an opportunity for oral health professionals to talk to their patients about this condition, helping them become as knowledgeable as possible about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oral cancer is unfortunately rather common, and it\u2019s important to detect the condition<\/a> early if you want the best chance of mitigating its effects. Here\u2019s what you should know about what oral cancer looks like, its causes, and what to do if you\u2019re concerned about the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Causes Oral Cancer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s not easy to say definitively what causes people to develop oral cancer, there are some key risk factors that it\u2019s important to be aware of. For one, it\u2019s been found that older men are at much higher risk for the condition, particularly over the age of 50. While they\u2019re far from the only ones that can contract the disease, this demographic should be especially vigilant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Substance use also dramatically increases your risk. Alcohol and tobacco use have been shown to lead to oral cancer, so cutting back on these negative habits can do a lot to decrease your risk of the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs of Oral Cancer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cancers are difficult to diagnose as a layperson and can easily be mistaken for something more benign. While you would need to talk to a dentist for a diagnosis, here are some signs of oral cancer that you ought to be on the lookout for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n