Dentist in Liberty, MO Says It Saves Smiles to Get Screened

The holidays are a time of celebration and happiness. One of the worst ways to drag down the jolliness that surrounds friends and family is breaking to them that you have a debilitating disease like oral cancer.

The good news is that oral cancer is completely treatable and actually has a very high success rate if caught in the early stages. That’s why your dentist in Liberty, MO believes in offering oral cancer screenings to all patients. Avoid bad news and keep up the holiday cheer by being proactive in caring for your oral health.

Avoid Oral Cancer by Facing the Facts

If you decide to miss your dental appointments, you miss the opportunity to have your mouth checked for signs of oral cancer. Here are some bleak, but realistic facts about oral cancer that may make you think twice before missing your next dental appointment:

• There are an estimated 49,750 oral cancer cases just in 2017.
• Just under 10,000 people are expected to die from oral cancer in 2017.
• When diagnosed in the late stages, patients face a 40% death rate.

After reading those statistics, you may feel a bit down—but there’s still a silver lining! If diagnosed early on and treated appropriately, patients have nearly a 100% survival rate resting at just over 90%.  As you can see, early detection is key to controlling and stopping the spread of the disease.

You Can Easily Get an Oral Cancer Screening

During each visit, your family dentist in Lynnfield will work to educate you and make you more aware of oral cancer and preventive care to avoid coming face to face with the disease.

Dentists Screen Patients Regularly

Since you should be visiting the dentist only 2 times a year, your dentist should screen for oral cancer every appointment. If it’s been longer than 6 months since your last appointment, you should be scheduling an appointment with your Liberty, Mo dentist very soon!

Your Dentist Lets You Know If You’re at Risk

Little do many patients know, their lifestyle could be contributing to their overall risks. During your visit, your dentist will explain how eliminating tobacco and excessive alcohol use can greatly reduce the chances of developing oral cancer among other risk factors.

Need a biopsy? Your Dentist Can Help You.

In the case that a symptom of oral cancer is spotted, your dentist can conduct a biopsy to discover if that is the true cause. The minute the results come back, you’ll get a call from your dentist. This way, you can work side by side with your dental team to develop a personalized treatment plan.

If you ever feel something abnormal or spot unusual changes in your mouth, feel free to reach out dentist before the condition worsens.

Meet Your Dentist

With dentistry, prevention is always better than addressing a severe oral health concern. This goes for oral cancer especially! In the years that Dr. Michael C. Byars has been practicing, he’s able to help patients recover their optimal oral health when problems are spotted early on.  Whether you’ve been loyal to our office or if you’re a new patient, feel free to contact our office for helpful treatment.