Dangerous Duo: Cigarettes and Alcohol as Triggers of Oral Cancer

Smoking cigarettes is a popular pastime. Fathom this: In the United States, people light up 600 billion times annually. It’s common knowledge that tobacco use is the main cause of lung cancer. On another front, nearly a third of American adults are “excessive” drinkers; 10 percent of them are alcoholics. Heavy smokers and drinkers are 15 times more susceptible to oral cancers than people who don’t use both. The combined substantial use of alcohol and tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco) puts people at an especially high risk of contracting the disease.

An oral/maxillofacial surgeon is your go-to doctor to treat oral cancer, as well as perform surgeries on teeth, gums, jaws, and the oral and facial structures that surround them. This type of specialist must have exceptional hand-eye coordination and a keen eye for detail to perform delicate and precise procedures. Patients get those imperative qualities and so much more at the office of Orofacial & Dental Implant Surgery.

Tobacco and alcohol synergistically interact, increasing each other’s harmful effects. How alcohol affects the mouth is strategic to identifying how it works with tobacco to increase the chances of getting oral cancer. Alcohol dehydrates the cells on the inside soft tissues of the mouth. This demoisturizing increases the ability of tobacco’s carcinogens to penetrate those soft tissues. Chronic alcohol use often leads to poor dietary choices and skipping meals, both of which contribute to nutritional deficiencies. Heavy drinking can lower the body’s natural ability to use antioxidants to prevent cancers from forming. 

Quitting cigarettes and stopping or reducing drinking alcohol will have an immediate positive effect of lowering your chances of getting oral cancer. In 10 years, your chances will be as low as any other non-drinker/non-smoker.

Three sobering facts about oral cancer in the United States: 

• About 58,000 new cases are identified annually. 
• Every year, oral cancer causes the death of 9,750 people. 
• Oral cancer represents 2.2 percent of all cancer deaths. 

The office of Orofacial & Dental Implant Surgery takes pride in its outstanding service, attention to detail and friendly professionalism. No matter what your oral surgery needs are, you will receive excellent care and explanations of the best options available to you. We look forward to exceeding your high expectations. Please call us today for an appointment.