Oral HPV a leading cause of oral cancer.

Not all oral cancers are caused by alcohol and tobacco, though use of these substances and family history are three major factors.  Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is one of the main risk factors tied to oral cancel.  HPV-related oral cancer is unfortunately a growing epidemic and now accounts for around 50% of oral cancers.  Not every case of HPV will develop into cancer, but for those strains that do lead to cancerous cells, early detection of the HPV virus is critical.

The risk profile for oral HPV includes anyone older than age 12 who is sexually active or who has had more than three sexual partners.

Your dentist should perform annual screenings to identify oral HPV infection, especially HPV-16 and HPV-18, which are the variants most commonly linked to oral cancer.  At Crabapple Dental, we use the OraRisk HPV test.  It’s among the latest and best available test for detecting HPV infection.  OraRisk HPV is noninvasive, simple to use, and gives our patients the piece of mind of knowing their mouths are healthy, or in the case of a positive test result, helps us get further treatment if necessary.

Ask your dentist if he or she provides HPV screenings.  As always, if you are in the Atlanta, Roswell, Alpharetta or Cumming areas, and wish to make an appointment, please email or call 678-319-0123 for an appointment.