Hello, Houston. Today we want to take a moment to talk about a fairly somber subject. Oral cancer can strike without warning; it can take your life, or disfigure your face. But when it’s caught early, your chance of survival rises significantly.

We screen for this disease during every appointment. In today’s blog post from the Antoine Dental Center in Houston, TX, we want to share some of the very scary statistics behind oral cancer in America.

45,000.

That’s the number of Americans who will be diagnosed with oral cancer in any given year. The number has fallen slightly as tobacco use has declined, however oral cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancerous deaths for Americans.

8,000.

That’s the number of Americans who will ultimately die this year from oral cancer. That number averages out to about one death, every hour, of every single day of the year.

56 Percent.

That’s the percentage of Americans who survive oral cancer for five years or longer after being diagnosed with the disease. Those who survive are generally people who were fortunate enough to have the cancer detected in its very early stages.

Age 40.

Forty is the age at which your risk of oral cancer gains to rise significantly. Older men are the mostly likely to contract oral cancer; however, menopausal women are also at much higher risk of oral cancer than the general population.

80 Percent.

That’s the percentage of sufferers of oral cancer who smoked or used other tobacco products during their lifetime. The risk of oral cancer begins to fall the moment you quit smoking; however if you’ve ever smoked for any duration of your life, your risk of oral cancer is significantly higher than that of the general population.

70 Percent.

That’s the percentage of sufferers of oral cancer who were considered to be heavy drinkers and/or alcoholics. The risk of oral cancer begins to fall the moment you quit drinking alcohol; however if you’ve ever drank heavily for any duration of your life, your risk of oral cancer is significantly higher than that of the general population.

12 Drinks.

That’s the number of alcoholic beverages a man needs to drink in a week to be medically classified as a heavy drinker. Men who drink this much alcohol or more are considered to be at a higher risk of oral cancer.

7 Drinks.

That’s the number of alcoholic beverages a woman needs to drink in a week to be medically classified as a heavy drinker. Women who drink this much alcohol or more are considered to be at a higher risk of oral cancer.

2 Times.

That’s the number of times you should visit the dentist’s office for a routine dental exam and cleaning in a year. Not only can we remove tooth decay from your teeth during these appoints, we also screen you for oral diseases. We will painless examine your mouth for signs of oral cancer or gum disease.

Make An Appointment

If you’d like to schedule an appointment and be screened for oral cancer, we encourage you to contact our office. Antoine Dental Center is proud to serve Houston, TX. Our office can be reached at 713-364-8990. Please don’t hesitate to call with any questions you may have; we’re here to help you live better and more comfortably.