35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
YOUR DENTISTS ON THE PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL
Our clinic stands out in Montreal as a pioneer in using technology. In addition to paperless patient records management, these tools allow us to provide care comfortably, quickly, and with great precision.
Mouth cancer is a serious disease and is often diagnosed too late. This is one of the reasons why routine dental visits are so important. These visits include screening for mouth cancer. Your dentist is the most qualified professional to recognize the early signs of the disease. In this article, we highlight key statistics about mouth cancer that speak for themselves.
The incidence of mouth cancer increases with age. The risk becomes more significant after age 40 and peaks around age 60. It is essential to remain vigilant and pay close attention to signs and symptoms as we grow older.
Mouth cancer is strongly associated with smoking and heavy alcohol consumption. These are the two main risk factors for the disease. When smoking and heavy drinking are combined, the risks increase dramatically.
However, not all cases are linked to these habits. Health Canada estimates that 25 percent of people diagnosed with mouth cancer do not smoke and do not drink alcohol.
Human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted and blood-transmitted infection, is another major risk factor for developing mouth or throat cancer. Between 2000 and 2012, the number of HPV-related mouth and throat cancer cases increased by 50 percent. Over the years, more and more cases of these cancers have been linked to HPV.
Safe sexual practices are therefore essential, especially for individuals with multiple partners.
When mouth cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, while still localized to the oral tissues, the five-year survival rate is 80 percent. This means that eight out of ten people recover from the disease.
However, when the cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, the survival rate drops to only 20 percent. Mouth cancer is considered advanced when it has metastasized and spread to other parts of the body.
These statistics clearly demonstrate the importance of frequent screening, which allows for early diagnosis. At this stage, cancer is usually easier to treat and the treatments are less invasive.
At Centre Dentaire de Haute Technologie du Quebec, we use a specialized technology during routine visits to screen for mouth cancer. This technology, called VELscope, emits a blue light. Due to the fluorescence of the soft tissues in the mouth, healthy cells reflect the blue light. When darker areas are detected under this light, it may indicate the development of a precancerous or cancerous condition. A biopsy and additional tests can then be performed.
VELscope makes it possible to detect lesions that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye, allowing for very early diagnosis of mouth cancer.
