30
May
2012
|
14:27 PM
America/New_York
Tobacco, Cancer and Oral Health
By Doyle Williams

Oral cancer is most commonly caused by tobacco use, so to see the health community come together to discuss this issue is a promising step. Smokeless tobacco and cigarettes contain at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals, and can cause cancers of the mouth, lip, tongue, pancreas, and even voice box, esophagus, colon and bladder. If you’re a tobacco user, be sure to inform your dentist, so they can perform a thorough exam to check for oral cancers. But the most important thing you can do is quit.
Even if you’re not a tobacco user, be sure to ask your dentist for an oral cancer screening- it can happen to anyone!