Welcome to Dental Health Week 2011

This Dental Health Week the ADA  have chosen to highlight oral cancer and shed some light on its causes and symptoms. Oral cancer is one of the least understood conditions amongst the general public and yet three of the main risk factors involved in its development are common to most of Australia’s adult population. Prevention starts with public awareness and we want you to help us spread the word and give oral cancer awareness a voice.  Oral cancer is one of the least understood conditions amongst the general public and yet, each day, an average of three Australians will be diagnosed with it. Some causes of the disease you might expect but some you’ll be surprised by. You don’t have to be a smoker. You don’t even have to live an unhealthy lifestyle to be at risk.

Some risk factors can include:

Tobacco and Alcohol Use

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV-16)

Sun Exposure

For this reason it would make sense to include an annual oral cancer screening alongside your normal check-up regardless of whether you smoke or drink, to give you the best chance of catching the disease at its earliest possible stage when it is most responsive to existing treatments and your chances of survival are at their highest.

For more information on Oral Cancer  visit the ADA website today.