While it may not be a part of our everyday dental concerns, the Oral Cancer Foundation reminds us that approximately 48,250 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer this year, with one person dying from the disease every hour of every day. Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for oral cancer, but they’re not the only ones. The fastest growing segment of oral cancer patients are young, healthy, nonsmoking adults under 40 years of age whose connection to the disease is the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is actually the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. These are sobering statistics and worth remembering as we commemorate Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month this April.
Awareness is the first step to prevention and treatment. Unfortunately for dentists, most people remain unaware of how their everyday habits are perpetuating critical dental conditions. As dental students, we should strive to bring awareness to combat diseases such as oral cancer, periodontal disease and even tooth loss. Recently there has been a push to inform the public by way of commercials or advertisement campaigns. Take a look below at three dental-related commercials that stress the importance of dental health. Many of our patients only come to us when the problem is fully developed. These service announcements will hopefully greatly impact how people approach their dental health.