At Lehigh Valley Smiles, we’re proud to not only improve patients’ smiles but to also help save their lives. In recent years, the overall rate of new cancer diagnoses in developed countries has declined, as has the rate of smoking. However, diagnoses of oral cancer have remained stable or increased, and the culprit is none other than the human papillomavirus, better known as HPV. The cancers caused by this virus are deadlier than those caused by nicotine, so people must be made aware of the danger it poses.
Oral cancers can be caused by genetic factors, but most commonly, they are due to smoking or tobacco use, alcohol, or HPV. While the public is generally well-informed about the cancer risks of the first two, the rising rate of HPV, particularly in young men, suggests that many people still do not understand the connection between oral sex and cancers of the mouth and throat. Most strains of HPV are harmless, and the body often fights them off without the host ever having been conscious of being infected, but there are at least nine strains which cause cancer, and young, sexually active non-smokers are usually not aware they are in a high-risk population.
Tumors and lesions caused by HPV are usually farther back in the throat than those caused by tobacco use, so patients often will not notice them until they reach an advanced state. However, Lehigh Valley Smiles offers regular screenings for oral cancer which can catch HPV infections early, improving patients’ chances of survival.
Alan Dilsaver, DDS, FAGD, operates Lehigh Valley Smiles at 2601 Nazareth Road, Easton, Pennsylvania, 18045. To schedule an appointment, call 610-252-7414 or visit LehighValleySmiles.net and fill out a contact sheet.
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