{"id":462,"date":"2025-06-02T16:21:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T16:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/blog\/?p=462"},"modified":"2025-07-22T16:25:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T16:25:39","slug":"risk-assessment-oral-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/02\/risk-assessment-oral-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Risk Assessment: Are You More Likely to Develop Oral Cancer?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-2-300x200.png\" alt=\" Dentist reviewing X-ray with patient \" class=\"wp-image-463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-2-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-2.png 630w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Obviously, no one wants to think about potentially getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">oral cancer.<\/a> But as they say, \u201cknowledge is power.\u201d Being aware of the risk factors can help you \u201cget ahead of it\u201d and receive timely treatment \u2013 or avoid it altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rest assured though, you\u2019re not alone. Your dentist can help you monitor your oral health by screening for early warning signs. Keep reading so you can assess your risk and take care of your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tobacco and Alcohol Usage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You might know that smoking drastically increases your risk of lung cancer, but it\u2019s worth noting that tobacco usage also contributes to oral cancer. In fact, experts say that tobacco use is one of the strongest risk factors, if not <em>the <\/em>strongest. Cigarettes, pipes, cigars, snuff, dip, chew \u2013 no matter what form the tobacco takes, it\u2019ll make you much more likely to develop oral cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alcohol, meanwhile, can increase your risk when consumed in moderate or heavy amounts, making it important to keep tabs on your drinking habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HPV Infection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All types of HPV infections can make cells more likely to turn cancerous. That said, HPV 16 and HPV DNA are the most common strains associated with oral cancer. Fortunately, the treatment outlook for HPV related oral cancer is very good (provided you\u2019re a non-smoker). It\u2019s still better to avoid the risk altogether with an HPV vaccine, though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UV Light Exposure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sunlight and tanning beds emit UV rays, which can cause oral cancer as well as skin cancer. Though the inside of your mouth is not often exposed to UV rays, your lips are. If you\u2019re sensitive to light or live in an area with particularly high UVs, you should protect your lips with SPF Chapstick. And most everyone should consider limiting their time spent at a tanning salon! \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reducing Your Risk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While having an oral cancer risk factor doesn\u2019t always mean you\u2019ll develop the disease, it never hurts to sway the odds in your favor. Try to limit or quit smoking and drinking, be safe with your partner (or get vaccinated if you can), and take protective measures against UVs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something rather unique about oral cancers is that they have a high survivability rate when caught early. So, another thing you can do is visit your dentist twice a year for a checkup. Dentists perform an oral cancer screening during routine exams, and a professional eye can help you monitor your oral health. By staying vigilant, you and your dentist can stop oral cancer in its tracks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/meet-dr-balington.html\">Dr. Todd Balington<\/a> is proud to serve the Denton community and other nearby areas with quality preventive dental care. If you\u2019re at a higher risk for oral cancer or simply need to schedule your next routine checkup, he would be happy to work with you and help you monitor your oral health. To contact Dr. Balington\u2019s office, call 940-383-3300 or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentondentalcenter.com\/request-an-appointment.html\">request an appointment online.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Obviously, no one wants to think about potentially getting oral cancer. But as they say, \u201cknowledge is power.\u201d Being aware of the risk factors can help you \u201cget ahead of it\u201d and receive timely treatment \u2013 or avoid it altogether. Rest assured though, you\u2019re not alone. Your dentist can help you monitor your oral health [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Oral Cancer Risk Factors | Denton Dental Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Several factors can increase your risk of oral cancer. 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