Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
Contents    |   Next     |   Previous

 Smoker Oral Health

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, July 18, 2005

STORY: SMOKER ORAL HEALTH

A person dies from oral cancer every hour, every day in the U.S. alone. Most victims have a history of tobacco use. Now a quick, painless test detects a malignant tumor before it spreads. Dr. Linda Niessen has details in this Dental Health Check.

Every day for most of his adult life, Steve Beyer has smoked a pack of cigarettes. The habit caused symptoms he could not ignore.

"There were parts that were actually tingling in my mouth from the smoking, rough spots in my mouth," said Steve. Steve's dentist, Dr. Jean Bainbridge, supported his efforts to quit smoking six weeks ago. Already, Dr. Bainbridge can see improvement.

"Patients that have stopped smoking, we start to see tissue starting to revert back to normal very rapidly," said Dr. Bainbridge.

Smokers are six times more likely to develop oral cancer; using spit tobacco increases the risk by about 50 times. Dr. Bainbridge said, "About 30-thousand Americans every year develop oral cancer."   

A simple test, called a brush biopsy, can detect oral cancer in its early stages before it spreads. "It's pain free, take that sample, send it off and wait for the report," added Dr. Bainbridge.

Steve got lucky. His biopsies have been negative. He added, "Plus I feel better frankly."

If you smoke or use spit tobacco, enlist Baylor College of Dentistry your dentist to help you quit. Your oral health can improve dramatically and you will feel better too. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

Contents    |   Next     |   Previous