4 Smart Strategies for Avoiding Oral Cancer

Cancer can strike just about part of the body, including the tongue, lips, gum tissues, throat, and oral cavity. Oral cancer can prove deadly without early diagnosis and prompt treatment. Even though regular dental exams that include oral screenings can help you nip the problem in the bud, you prefer to avoid it altogether.

Since some cases of oral cancer occur in the absence of any risk factors, you can't eliminate your oral cancer risk by 100 percent. However, some simple lifestyle choices can go along way to minimizing that risk. Consider adopting the following four smart strategies for avoiding oral cancer.

1. Don't Drink Excessively
Researchers have linked alcohol to many kinds of cancers, including colorectal, liver, and breast cancer. Alcoholic beverages also raise the risk for a variety of oral and upper digestive system cancers. The body converts alcohol into a carcinogen called acetaldehyde and damages DNA. Alcoholic drinks may also include other carcinogens.

Although any degree of alcohol consumption can raise your risk for oral cancer, drinking to excess boosts the risk level significantly. Men should avoid drinking more than two drinks per day, while women should only drink one or less. Even if you don't drink every day, you should also avoid binge drinking.

2. Don't Use Tobacco
Like alcohol, tobacco contains compounds that can trigger various types of cancer, including oral cancer. Cigarette smoking can raise your oral cancer risk by a factor often over your non-smoking risk. Pipe smoking, cigar smoking, and even smokeless tobacco use can promote oral cancer as well.

When you use tobacco and drink alcohol, the combination of these two dangerous behaviors can raise your oral cancer risk further. In fact, research indicates that alcohol paired with tobacco multiplies the oral cancer risk beyond the simple addition to the two individual risk levels.

If you want to keep this risk factor out of your life, the obvious strategy involves either never using tobacco at all or dropping an existing tobacco habit. Although tobacco can prove highly addictive, you can find programs and products to help you take this important positive step toward better oral health.

3. Manage Your GERD
If you wake up every morning experiencing symptoms such as sore throat, hoarseness, tooth or mouth sensitivity, and or a sour taste in your mouth, you may have a problem known as gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). This problem occurs when stomach acid finds its way back up the throat and into the oral cavity.

GERD can cause more than just discomfort. Over time, untreated GERD can alter the cells in your esophagus, throat, or mouth. These alterations may lead to the development of cancerous tumors. The sooner you get this acid reflux issue under control, the more effectively you can avoid the oral cancer risks it can pose.

Your dentist can often detect a case of GERD by examining your teeth for signs of premature erosion. You may receive a referral to a specialist who can evaluate your condition and recommend treatments ranging from over-the-counter drugs and smart dietary changes to prescription medications that reduce stomach acid production.

4. Protect Your Lips Against UV Exposure
No matter how conscientiously you cover your skin with sunscreen before going out on a sunny day, you might easily forget that your lips are at risk for skin cancer, too. Frequent or extended exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight can raise your risk of developing oral cancer on unprotected lips.

Fortunately, you can take the same basic steps to avoid skin cancer on your lips that you might employ to protect other areas of skin against UV-related cancer. Apply a lip balm designed to filter out UV rays before going out. Wear a broad-brimmed hat or other protective clothing to reduce your UV exposure even further.

Bradley Piotrowski, DDS, MSD, LLC can help you keep your mouth and gums in optimal condition for life while answering any questions you
may have about conditions that might threaten your health. Contact our dental office today to schedule an exam.