HPV-Associated Oral Cancer

Dentists commonly treat a number of oral pathologies, not just those directly related to the teeth, and one of our most important duties at Vista Dental in Medicine Hat is to assess adults for oral cancer. As a result of years of anti-smoking campaigns, oral cancer fatalities have declined. However, rates of oral cancer associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV) are on the rise, which is why we want our patients to be aware of its risks.

Tobacco-associated oral cancer usually occurs in the front of the mouth and can be scanned for with technology which is standard in most dental offices. But HPV-associated cancer usually occurs further back in the throat, in a region called the oropharynx, giving throat cancer the medical name “oropharyngeal cancer.” Most adults will have an HPV infection at some point in their lives, and the one strain out of hundreds which is known to cause throat cancer cannot be tested for.

Detecting HPV-associated cancer usually requires a tactile examination. This type of cancer is easier to treat and has a higher survival rate than tobacco-associated cancer, but because people think of oral cancer as a smoker’s disease, they often do not know to guard against it. Visit our office if you are suffering from pain or numbness in your throat or the area between your jaw and your ears, as these are common symptoms.

Vista Dental is located at 7 Strachan Bay SE, Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1B 4Y2, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 403-548-7077 or visit VistaDentalMH.Ca.