{"id":159,"date":"2018-04-23T14:19:24","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T14:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/?p=159"},"modified":"2018-04-23T14:19:24","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T14:19:24","slug":"dentist-protects-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"happyIt\u2019s common knowledge that if you want to have healthy teeth and gums, you need to brush and floss every day as well as <\/em>regularly see your dentist. However, did you know that your dentist can help protect much more than just your smile?<\/strong> While giving you an exam, your dentist is also keeping an eye out for two distinct types of cancer: oral cancer and skin cancer. In fact, your dentist is one of your most critical partners when it comes to catching certain cancers early.<\/p>\n

How can my dentist help me with skin cancer?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s pretty easy to understand that your dentist is keeping an eye out for oral cancer, but how can they help with skin cancer? Specifically, they are looking for signs of melanoma, which is one of the most serious kinds of skin cancer.<\/p>\n

Despite melanoma being thought of as strictly \u201cskin cancer,\u201d it can actually occur anywhere melanocytes (which is a type of cell that produces melanin) exist in your body, and this includes your skin, heart, and\u2026your mouth.<\/p>\n

How does my dentist keep an eye out for cancer?<\/h2>\n

Most dentists will perform a cancer screening as part of a regular checkup. In addition to looking at your teeth, they\u2019ll also examine your lips, gums, cheeks, roof\/floor of the mouth, throat, neck, and face for any signs of cancerous tissues. If they find anything that causes concern, they can arrange for you to get a biopsy in order to get a proper diagnosis.<\/p>\n

In the case of oral and skin cancer, early detection is absolutely key to successful treatment. For example, when caught in its initial stages, oral cancer has about an 85% survival rate, but that number drops to about 25% if the disease isn\u2019t detected until a patient has had it for 2-3 years.<\/p>\n

How often should my dentist check me for cancer?<\/h2>\n

Your dentist will actually screen you for cancer at every single appointment, most of the time without you even noticing. This is one of the many reasons most dentists, as well as the American Dental Association, recommend that people should make at least two dental visits per year. Not only are they essential for your oral health, but these checkups could literally be the thing that saves your life.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t been to the dentist in a while, be sure to schedule an appointment soon. Also, if you notice any symptoms like persistent sores in your mouth, a frequent sore throat or hoarse voice, or you experience trouble swallowing or speaking, be sure to contact your dentist right away.<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Masha Kogan<\/a> has been practicing dentistry for 20 years, 18 of which have been right here in Westport. She uses her dental expertise every day to protect her patients\u2019 oral health as well as safeguard them from various types of cancers. To learn more about the symptoms of oral\/skin cancer you should look out for and how your dentist can help, she can be contacted through her website<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s common knowledge that if you want to have healthy teeth and gums, you need to brush and floss every day as well as regularly see your dentist. However, did you know that your dentist can help protect much more than just your smile? While giving you an exam, your dentist is also keeping an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer - Dental Center of WestPort<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Visiting your dentist twice a year is great for your teeth and gums, but did you know it can also help with the early detection of cancer?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer - Dental Center of WestPort\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Visiting your dentist twice a year is great for your teeth and gums, but did you know it can also help with the early detection of cancer?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dental Center of WestPort\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-04-23T14:19:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661-300x200.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drkogan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drkogan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/\",\"name\":\"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer - Dental Center of WestPort\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661-300x200.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-04-23T14:19:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d\"},\"description\":\"Visiting your dentist twice a year is great for your teeth and gums, but did you know it can also help with the early detection of cancer?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661.jpeg\",\"width\":2550,\"height\":1700,\"caption\":\"happy dental patient\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Dental Center of WestPort\",\"description\":\"Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d\",\"name\":\"drkogan\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/author\/drkogan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer - Dental Center of WestPort","description":"Visiting your dentist twice a year is great for your teeth and gums, but did you know it can also help with the early detection of cancer?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer - Dental Center of WestPort","og_description":"Visiting your dentist twice a year is great for your teeth and gums, but did you know it can also help with the early detection of cancer?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/","og_site_name":"Dental Center of WestPort","article_published_time":"2018-04-23T14:19:24+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661-300x200.jpeg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"drkogan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"drkogan","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/","name":"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer - Dental Center of WestPort","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661-300x200.jpeg","datePublished":"2018-04-23T14:19:24+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d"},"description":"Visiting your dentist twice a year is great for your teeth and gums, but did you know it can also help with the early detection of cancer?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_86169661.jpeg","width":2550,"height":1700,"caption":"happy dental patient"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/dentist-protects-cancer\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Your Dentist Protects You From Cancer"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/","name":"Dental Center of WestPort","description":"Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43a6492049483caff74d596269928c2d","name":"drkogan","url":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/author\/drkogan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions\/161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dentalcenterwestport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}