Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Oral Cancer

Like many diseases, oral cancer is best prevented rather than treated. Oral cancer can spread to other parts of your body and cause complications. This month we share some tips to minimize your risk.

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

Oral irritations and infections increase your risk of oral cancer. Practice good oral hygiene to minimize the risk. Specifically, we recommend:

·         Practicing good oral hygiene to reduce the risk of infections

·         Ensuring proper fit of all dental appliances

·         Get treatments for dental issues as soon as they emerge

·         Get regular dental exams so the dentist can diagnose any issues early on

Maintain Good Overall Health

Your overall health affects your oral health, including your risk of oral cancer.

Get Good Nutrition – Poor nutrition robs you of minerals and vitamins you need to maintain a healthy body. For example, vitamin A deficiency has a link to oral cancer risk. Maintain a healthy diet, with adequate fruits and vegetables, to reduce the risk.

Exercise Regularly – Regular exercise helps in multiple ways. First, regular exercise contributes to overall physical health. Regular exercise also helps to prevent excess body weight, which might contribute to a higher cancer risk.

Prevent and Treat Emerging Diseases – Some diseases, such as Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, increase your risk of oral cancer. Diseases weaken your immunity, and cancer thrives in weak immunity.

Limit Tobacco Use

In all its forms, tobacco use increases your risk of various forms of cancer, especially oral cancer. The chemicals in tobacco, heat from smoking pipes, and smoke all contribute to the risk. The more tobacco you use and the longer you use it, the greater your risk of cancer increases. Ideally, you should stop tobacco use altogether.

Limit Alcohol Use

In addition to tobacco, alcohol is another recreational rug that increases your risk of oral cancer. Alcohol affects your body's chemical balance and increases your risk of disease. Heavy drinkers have higher risks of oral cancer than light drinkers. Combining alcohol and tobacco increases the risk even further.

Limit UV Exposure

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation damages your skin and increases your risk of oral cancer. UV exposure around the mouth area can cause cancer of the lips. UV exposure mainly comes from sunlight so remember to wear a hat during long periods of exposure and don’t forget to apply sunscreen that blocks UV radiation.

Don't forget to consult your dentist as soon as you have an oral or dental issue - don't wait for your scheduled exam.