
Each year in the United States, approximately 60,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed. Though these only account for about three percent of all cancer diagnoses, this number is still troublingly high, causing more than 9,750 deaths and killing one person an hour, 24 hours a day. The good news is that regular visits to your dentist can help protect you from oral cancer, as your regular preventive exam and cleaning includes an oral cancer screening. If caught early, this disease can be treated, hopefully increasing your odds of survival. Here are some factors that can put you at risk for oral cancer, and what you can do to protect yourself.
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