What is Dental Oncology?

Dental Oncology is a focus of dentistry dedicated to meeting the unique dental and oral health care needs that arise as a result of cancer therapy. It is devoted to improving the well-being and quality of life of people battling cancer. Dental oncology goes beyond the scope of general dental treatment to include management of the soft tissues of the mouth and care for oral side effects specific to cancer therapy. It also emphasizes oral cancer prevention and early detection.Dental Oncology Professionals of North Texas works as part of your oncology team to provide pre-treatment oral assessments and supportive oral care before, during, and after your cancer therapy.  

 Oral cancer is not a rare disease. Approximately 37,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every year in the United States. It kills one person every hour of every day and 100 new cases are identified each day. The good news is that oral cancer can be found early in its development.There are two distinct pathways by which most people come to oral cancer. One is through the use of tobacco and alcohol, a long term historic problem and cause; and the other is through exposure to the HPV-16 virus (human papilloma virus 16), a newly identified etiology. This is the same virus that is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers in women. The most rapidly growing population affected by oral cancer is young, healthy, male and female non-smokers who have been exposed to the HPV-16 virus.