Oral Cancer
These are two words that we, as dentists, hope they will never have to say to a patient. Oral cancer kills one American every hour of every single day. A number of famous people have become victims of oral cancer, among them Babe Ruth, Sigmund Freud, Bill Blass and Jack Klugman. We know that when a lesion is found in the mouth that may be squamous cell carcinoma, there is a 50% to 70% chance that the patient may not live past the next five years. They will also need radical surgery and major reconstruction that runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and causes immeasurable pain and suffering.
By the way, the number one finding of a recent dental patient survey done by the Crown Council was that patients want to hear more about oral cancer. CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently did a story on oral cancer. Consumers are ready to get involved with learning more about their mouths and certainly want to be involved with oral cancer prevention.
When you look at other cancer awareness programs, some organizations have done an absolutely outstanding job at creating a very high awareness of certain types of cancer. Every woman knows how to do a breast cancer self-exam and routinely goes for mammograms, and everyone over the age of 50 knows that it is time to go for a colonoscopy. These types of self-examinations and screenings have helped to save many, many lives over the years and have reduced the mortality rate of these dreaded cancers very substantially.
An established self-examination for oral cancer would be a huge help in finding abnormalities or incipient oral cancer lesions early on. This kind of self-examination, much like a breast examination or a skin examination, is easy to do, does not require any special equipment and will help familiarize people with their own mouths. The primary benefit is early detection of any unusual lesions in the patients’ mouths and the secondary benefit would be consumers becoming much more familiar with their mouths, which would prompt them to seek treatment for oral health issues that they usually ignore.
Oral cancer is one of the most curable diseases when it's caught early. That's why the ViziLite Plus exam has been developed.ViziLite Plus uses technology that has proven successful in identifying soft tissue abnormalities in other areas of the body. A ViziLite Plus exam is particularly important if you are at increased risk for developing oral cancer.
The ViziLite Plus exam can help us identify abnormal tissue, that might develop into oral cancer.
An annual ViziLite Plus exam, in combination with a regular visual examination, provides a comprehensive oral screening procedure for patients at increased risk for oral cancer. The ViziLite Plus exam is painless and fast, and could help save your life.
Importance of Early Detection
Early detection is the key to reducing the devastating impact of oral cancer on victims and their families. Annual oral cancer screening of patients at increased risk for oral cancer, patients age 18 and older, and tobacco users of any age, is the only way to achieve the early detection of oral cancer necessary to reduce the death rate of oral cancer – a death rate that has remained unchanged for more than 40 years!
The chart below shows how the death rates of other types of cancers have dropped with routine visual/manual screening examinations followed by annual examinations with an adjunctive screening technology. As you can see, when patients at increased risk for breast cancer, prostate cancer and cervical cancer began receiving annual screenings with the mammogram, PSA test and Pap smear, respectively; there was a significant decline in the death rates due to these cancers.
Screening Technology & Year Introduced Decrease in Death Rates For the Period
Breast Cancer Mammogram - 1972 45%a 1972-1992
Prostate Cancer PSA Test - 1986 17.6%b 1993-2002
Cervical Cancer Pap Smear - 1952 70%-80%c 1950-1990
Oral Cancer ViziLite Plus- 2002 to be assessed
a.American Cancer Society
b.Canadian Medical Association CMAJ March 5, 2002:166 (5)
c.American Society of Clinical Pathology, ASCP.org 6-27-03
ViziLite Plus is performed immediately following a regular visual examination
• First, you will be instructed to rinse with a cleansing solution
• Next, the overhead lighting will be dimmed.
• Then, your dental professional will examine your mouth using ViziLite Plus, a specially designed light technology
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Oral Cancer: Who's at Risk?
Doctors cannot always explain why one person develops oral cancer and another does not. However, we do know that this disease is not contagious. You cannot "catch" oral cancer from another person.
Research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop oral cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of developing a disease.
The following are risk factors for oral cancer:
Tobacco: Tobacco use accounts for most oral cancers. Smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes; using chewing tobacco; and dipping snuff are all linked to oral cancer. The use of other tobacco products may also increase the risk of oral cancer. Heavy smokers who use tobacco for a long time are most at risk. The risk is even higher for tobacco users who drink alcohol heavily. In fact, three out of four oral cancers occur in people who use alcohol, tobacco, or both alcohol and tobacco.
Alcohol: People who drink alcohol are more likely to develop oral cancer than people who don't drink. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol that a person consumes. The risk increases even more if the person both drinks alcohol and uses tobacco.
Sun: Cancer of the lip can be caused by exposure to the sun. Using a lotion or lip balm that has a sunscreen can reduce the risk. Wearing a hat with a brim can also block the sun's harmful rays. The risk of cancer of the lip increases if the person also smokes.
A personal history of head and neck cancer: People who have had head and neck cancer are at increased risk of developing another primary head and neck cancer. Smoking increases this risk. Quitting tobacco reduces the risk of oral cancer. Also, quitting reduces the chance that a person with oral cancer will get a second cancer in the head and neck region. People who stop smoking can also reduce their risk of cancer of the lung, larynx, mouth, pancreas, bladder, and esophagus. There are many resources to help smokers quit:
The Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER can talk with callers about ways to quit smoking and about groups that offer help to smokers who want to quit. Groups offer counseling in person or by telephone.
Also, your doctor or dentist can help you find a local smoking cessation program.
Your doctor can tell you about medicine (bupropion) or about nicotine replacement therapy, which comes as a patch, gum, lozenges, nasal spray, or inhaler.
The "National Cancer Institute Information Resources" section has information about the Federal Government's smoking cessation Web site, http://www.smokefree.gov.
Some studies suggest that not eating enough fruits and vegetables may increase the chance of getting oral cancer. Scientists also are studying whether infections with certain viruses (such as the human papillomavirus) are linked to oral cancer.
If you think you may be at risk, you should discuss this concern with us. You may want to ask about an appropriate schedule for checkups. Your health care team will probably tell you that not using tobacco and limiting your use of alcohol are the most important things you can do to prevent oral cancers. Also, if you spend a lot of time in the sun, using a lip balm that contains sunscreen and wearing a hat with a brim will help protect your lips.
2007…. stats
34,360 New Cases of Oral Cancer
Diagnoses estimated to be made this year in the U.S.
11,150 New Cases of Cervical Cancer
Diagnoses estimated to be made this year in the U.S.
- Estimated U.S. deaths from Oral Cancer in 2007: 7,550
- Compared to 3,670 estimated deaths from Cervical Cancer in 2007
- 25% of Oral Cancer patients have no risk factors
- The greatest increase of new Oral Cancer patients has occurred in patients under age 40
• Nearly 5-fold Increase in this age group
• Great majority have no risk factors
• Majority occur on the tongue
“The nearly 5-fold increase in young oral cancer patients under the age of 40, many with no traditional risk factors, underscores the need for thorough examination of all patients and increased awareness of this devastating disease
Dental Care And A New Diagnostic Tool For Oral Cancer
By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO
According to the American Cancer Society, about 30,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed annually in the U.S. About half of those who have oral cancer die within five years. Early detection can make a dramatic difference in treating oral cancer at curable stages and reducing oral cancer deaths.
Early detection capabilities recently have been enhanced by a new computer-assisted oral cancer screening tool. A nationwide study of 945 patients ranging in ages from 18 to 83 was conducted by dentists at 35 U.S. academic dental care sites.
Brush biopsy specimens were obtained from oral lesions as part of the extensive research, testing the accuracy of computer-assisted diagnostic equipment. The brush biopsy caused little or no bleeding and no anesthetic was required. The computer-assisted image analysis was used to identify suspicious cells in the samples.
The computer analysis properly identified every case of pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions as confirmed by lab tests from their traditional tissue evaluations. Additionally, it also correctly identified some lesions that were benign in appearance, but were actually found to be pre-cancerous or cancerous. Had it not been for this new diagnostic equipment, they would have escaped detection and not received any additional oral cancer testing.
"Early evaluation of oral pre-cancerous lesions can have a dramatic impact on oral cancer mortality rates," says Dr. James J. Sciubba, DMD, PhD, professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at State University of New York at Stony Brook, who also serves as a spokesperson for the study. Early-stage oral cancers are not easily detectable by visual inspection and may be overlooked.
The oral cancer scanner provides a new evaluation tool that can lead to a significant reduction in cancer deaths. An estimated 8,100 people will die from oral cancer this year. This new tool has shown remarkable merit as a reliable device in accurate diagnosis of oral cancer and a weapon in the fight against cancer.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Are Your Gums Getting Bigger ?
Are Your Teeth Getting Bigger?
Signs and symptoms of periodontal (gum) disease include bleeding gums; red, swollen, or tender gums; gums that have pulled away from your teeth (this makes your teeth look bigger); pus between the gums when they are compressed; persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth; permanent teeth that are loose or moving apart; any change in the way the teeth fit together when the patient bites; and any change in the fit of dentures. Most people with diabetes do not experience pain with periodontal disease, however, and some can have periodontal disease and be asymptomatic (no symptoms).
People with diabetes are three times more likely than persons without diabetes to have destructive periodontal disease (gum disease), such as periodontitis. Periodontal disease progresses more rapidly and often is more severe in individuals with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Gum disease is a bacterially induced chronic inflammatory disease that destroys non-calcified connective tissue and bone supporting the teeth and can lead to tooth loss. Recent research suggests a two-way connection between diabetes and periodontal disease. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to periodontal disease, but the presence of periodontal disease can worsen blood sugar control. In fact, proper care of the mouth can help people with diabetes achieve better blood sugar control.
Who Relies On DentistryForDiabetics©?
Frankly, a lot of diabetics are just not sufficiently motivated to do everything possible to manage their disease and maintain the best possible health for themselves. But a lot of patients tell us how glad their spouses and family members are that they explored the ways DentistryForDiabetics® doctors and dental health programs can help. After all, you don't deal with your diabetes in private. It worries and affects all those who care about you, live with you, travel with you, and rely on you. And you certainly do not want to be a burden to your loved ones - but, truth is, that's the reality, if not now in the future, if you fail to control your diabetes as best you can for as long as you can. Its nasty side effects can put you in a wheelchair with amputated limbs.... put you on dialysis for kidney failure....or incapacitate you with stroke. Diabetes sharply raises such risks - and poorly controlled diabetes raises these risks sky-high. Our patients tell us they understand these things and, rather than fear them or deny them, want to be aggressive and thorough in battling them - so they want the oral health advantage that only comprehensive care from a dentist thoroughly knowledgeable about the special needs of diabetic patients can provide!
Signs and symptoms of periodontal (gum) disease include bleeding gums; red, swollen, or tender gums; gums that have pulled away from your teeth (this makes your teeth look bigger); pus between the gums when they are compressed; persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth; permanent teeth that are loose or moving apart; any change in the way the teeth fit together when the patient bites; and any change in the fit of dentures. Most people with diabetes do not experience pain with periodontal disease, however, and some can have periodontal disease and be asymptomatic (no symptoms).
People with diabetes are three times more likely than persons without diabetes to have destructive periodontal disease (gum disease), such as periodontitis. Periodontal disease progresses more rapidly and often is more severe in individuals with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Gum disease is a bacterially induced chronic inflammatory disease that destroys non-calcified connective tissue and bone supporting the teeth and can lead to tooth loss. Recent research suggests a two-way connection between diabetes and periodontal disease. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to periodontal disease, but the presence of periodontal disease can worsen blood sugar control. In fact, proper care of the mouth can help people with diabetes achieve better blood sugar control.
Who Relies On DentistryForDiabetics©?
Frankly, a lot of diabetics are just not sufficiently motivated to do everything possible to manage their disease and maintain the best possible health for themselves. But a lot of patients tell us how glad their spouses and family members are that they explored the ways DentistryForDiabetics® doctors and dental health programs can help. After all, you don't deal with your diabetes in private. It worries and affects all those who care about you, live with you, travel with you, and rely on you. And you certainly do not want to be a burden to your loved ones - but, truth is, that's the reality, if not now in the future, if you fail to control your diabetes as best you can for as long as you can. Its nasty side effects can put you in a wheelchair with amputated limbs.... put you on dialysis for kidney failure....or incapacitate you with stroke. Diabetes sharply raises such risks - and poorly controlled diabetes raises these risks sky-high. Our patients tell us they understand these things and, rather than fear them or deny them, want to be aggressive and thorough in battling them - so they want the oral health advantage that only comprehensive care from a dentist thoroughly knowledgeable about the special needs of diabetic patients can provide!
Gum Disease Linked To Obesity
Gum Disease Linked to Obesity
The obesity epidemic may be linked to high worldwide rates of gum disease, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Boston University and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers wrapped a material that had been infused with P. gingivalis, bacteria that causes gum disease, around the gums of both obese mice and mice of normal weight. They found that the obese mice had more bone loss than the leaner mice, indicating a more severe form of gum disease. They also had higher levels of P. gingivalis in their mouths, and lower levels of certain immune system chemicals that the body produces to help fight off infections.
"These data indicate that obesity interferes with the ability of the immune system to appropriately respond to P. gingivalis infection," the researchers wrote. They noted that the generalized immune system suppression seen in the obese mice might indicate that obese people are more vulnerable to bacterial infections in general than people of healthier weight.
Periodontal disease is incredibly common, affecting approximately 80 percent of adults around the world.
"The importance of the current findings is underscored by the facts that millions of people worldwide are affected by this infection every year," the researchers said, "and the universal prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions."
Another recent study may also link gum disease to obesity. Researchers at the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have discovered a connection between Type 2 diabetes, which is often correlated with obesity, and severe forms of gum disease.
"We found that periodontal disease was often of the more aggressive form in patients with diabetes," researcher John Taylor said. "It is possible that obesity may be compromising the immune response, leading to increased susceptibility to periodontal disease
The obesity epidemic may be linked to high worldwide rates of gum disease, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Boston University and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers wrapped a material that had been infused with P. gingivalis, bacteria that causes gum disease, around the gums of both obese mice and mice of normal weight. They found that the obese mice had more bone loss than the leaner mice, indicating a more severe form of gum disease. They also had higher levels of P. gingivalis in their mouths, and lower levels of certain immune system chemicals that the body produces to help fight off infections.
"These data indicate that obesity interferes with the ability of the immune system to appropriately respond to P. gingivalis infection," the researchers wrote. They noted that the generalized immune system suppression seen in the obese mice might indicate that obese people are more vulnerable to bacterial infections in general than people of healthier weight.
Periodontal disease is incredibly common, affecting approximately 80 percent of adults around the world.
"The importance of the current findings is underscored by the facts that millions of people worldwide are affected by this infection every year," the researchers said, "and the universal prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions."
Another recent study may also link gum disease to obesity. Researchers at the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have discovered a connection between Type 2 diabetes, which is often correlated with obesity, and severe forms of gum disease.
"We found that periodontal disease was often of the more aggressive form in patients with diabetes," researcher John Taylor said. "It is possible that obesity may be compromising the immune response, leading to increased susceptibility to periodontal disease
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