Michael Douglas, an American actor, and producer had supported oral cancer prevention by donating his time in creating a television public service announcement or PSA on behalf of the Oral Cancer Foundation or OCF. The foundation is focused on educating the public about the need for annual screenings to catch oral cancer in its early stage.
We at Garrisonville Dental and our local dentists in stafford, va are committed to protecting our patient’s dental health. We worked hard in detecting potential oral disease that might aggravate into a more serious condition affecting the person’s overall health. We are concerned about the oral health of our patients that we want to take over in detecting possible symptoms of oral cancer through our Oral Cancer Screening procedure.
In the year 2010, Michael Douglas first experienced a sore throat which caused him to seek out medical attention. Later on, he was diagnosed with a stage IV squamous cell carcinoma cancer that was first discovered as a tumor on his tongue. It made him opt for chemotherapy treatment. After battling with oral cancer, Michael Douglas is now cancer-free. However, he continues to monitor his condition by having regular check-ups. This experience had made Douglas spread oral cancer awareness and prevention to the people in the United States. Thousands of people in the US were affected by oral cancer way back in 2016 and continues to progress up to the present. Commonly, oral cancer is caused by smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol, and the other is through Human Papillomavirus; however, new data show the rapid growth of young people, mostly non-smokers, are also affected by the disease.
What causes Oral Cancer?
A genetic mutation causes oral cancer. There is a high risk of mouth cancer for a person who extremely smokes cigarettes or drinks alcohol, regularly chewing betel nuts, a person who had certain chemical exposure, or who frequently expose themselves in the sun. Human Papillomavirus can also cause oral cancer.
Source: Mouth cancer – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
What is Human Papillomavirus?
HPV is commonly known as warts. It is acquired through intimate skin-to-skin contact. It is transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Genital warts are characterized by a small bump sometimes small or large, raised or flat in the genital area.
Oral cancer, if caught early, can be treated. Dentistry has a lot to offer when it comes to oral cancer treatment and prevention.
Garrisonville Dental is always ready to provide a reliable Oral Cancer Screening in Stafford, VA. Visit us at 481 Garrisonville Rd Suite 105, Stafford, VA 22554.