Here at Gentle Dentist, we are committed to serving our community as well as providing excellent oral health care. On Saturday, July 31. 2010, we teamed up with the local Elks Lodge in nearby Noblesville, IN to provide free oral cancer screenings in conjunction with a blood drive sponsored by the Elks. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), "Each year, more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed and over 8,000 deaths due to oral cancer occur. The 5-year survival rate for these cancers is only about 50 percent. Methods used to treat oral cancers (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy) are disfiguring and costly. Preventing high-risk behaviors, that include cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking, use of smokeless tobacco, and excessive use of alcohol are critical in preventing oral cancers. Early detection is key to increasing the survival rate for these cancers."
Oral cancer is a devastating disease and it's mortality rate and morbidity, in contrast to many other more prevalent forms of cancer, has remained relatively unchanged over the years. That is why at Gentle Dentist we conduct oral cancer exams on all new patients in an attempt to detect the onset of oral cancer early before it becomes a larger problem.