Dentist Blog

A California dentist is offering free screenings for oral cancer, reports the Half Moon Bay News. April has been designated as Oral Cancer Awareness Month in the U.S. Dr. John Moon, a dentist who practices in Half Moon Bay, Calif., will conduct visual screening with the aid of a Velscope light.

"I'm surprised that there are so many people who haven’t seen a doctor for years because they can't afford it," said Dr. Moon to the Half Moon Bay News. Moon said the economy has left some residents without the funds to visit a doctor, but the simple screening for oral cancer can save lives.

The recent results from a nation survey conducted on behalf of the Oral Cancer Foundation revealed that many Americans do not fully understand the causes of oral cancer. This survey was meant to establish a baseline of public understanding with regard to oral cancer and to increase awareness about this growing threat. In the survey 83 percent knew that smoking and chewing tobacco was a risk factor, but few recognized the other contributors. As a local dentist I want to help my patients better understand the causes of oral cancer in Springfield.

Oral cancer takes the life of one person every hour. The five year survival rate of oral cancer is less than 50 percent. Around 40,000 Americans this year will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer. This is one of the few types of cancer that has not exhibited a significant decline in fatalities over several decades. Now can you see why Springfield oral cancer is such a concern for my staff and I?