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Home / Blog / The Fight For Your Smile: Keep Your Mouth Cancer Free

The Fight For Your Smile: Keep Your Mouth Cancer Free

Galleria of Smiles takes pride in providing our patients with the highest level of dental care available in the Tulsa, OK area, but none of that matters if we don’t help you avoid the nightmare that is oral cancer. Oral cancer is not just an issue for your smile. It can put your actual life in danger. 

Dr.’s Justin and Mehrdad Emami have the training and dental experience to recognize the signs oral cancer early and get you started on an appropriate treatment plan. Galleria of Smiles will help you beat cancer, but we would much rather help you avoid it altogether. 

Call us today to schedule your dental appointment and make sure your mouth is as healthy as it can be. You can reach our Tulsa office at 918-302-2401, or our Sand Springs location at 918-245-5976.

 

What is Oral Cancer?

Cancer is defined as a growth of cells that damages the surrounding tissue. Oral cancer is a growth in a particular part of your mouth (cheeks, tongue, lips, etc.) This type of cancer is treatable but still can cost you your life if you don’t get the proper treatment. Dr. Justin or Dr. M. Emami will help you through these beginning stages of your journey with oral cancer, and make sure that you and your smile get the help you deserve.

 

Oral Cancer Symptoms

When trying to keep your mouth cancer free, it is important to know what symptoms you need to be on the lookout for. Here are some common symptoms that may point toward the development of oral cancer. If you experience any of these symptoms, call Galleria of Smiles immediately to get an appointment scheduled.

  • Lumps in Your Mouth
  • Rough Spots on Your Gums or Lips
  • Discolored Patches in Your Mouth
  • Bleeding in Your Mouth
  • Loss of Feeling in Your Mouth
  • Unexplainable Pain in Your Mouth
  • Sore or Painful Throat

 

What You Can Do to Keep Yourself Safe

Your smile is important, but your overall health is even more important. Here are some things that you can do on your own to make your chances of getting oral cancer lower.

  • Stop Using Tobacco – If you don’t use tobacco, don’t start, and if you do use it, stop immediately. Tobacco products have been shown to cause cancer. For smokers, they are at risk of both oral cancer and lung cancer. The smoke that is inhaled carries 4000 chemicals and toxins into your body. Of those, 43 are known to cause cancer. Smokeless tobacco is no better. The chewing tobacco stays in contact with your gums during use for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. While the amount of cancer-causing agents is less (only 28 in smokeless tobacco) the amount of time they are in contact with your gum tissue make it a virtual certainty that you will develop oral cancer as a result of your tobacco use.
  • Don’t Drink Alcohol in Excess – For the purposes of this blog, excess is defined as more than 21 alcoholic drinks in any seven day period. Recent studies suggest that consuming alcohol at this rate or greater may contribute to the development of oral cancer. Outside of the oral cancer risk, consuming alcohol at this level could lead to liver damage, which opens the door for many other health problems down the line. Take the advice of Galleria of Smiles and drink in moderation.
  • Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables – Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells that causes damage to other cells around it. Eating your fruits and vegetables is going to give your body and your immune system the ammo it needs to fight back against this abnormal growth. Outside of the immune system benefits, eating your fruits and veggies will help you keep the proper pH level in your mouth and guard against other issues like tooth decay and gum disease.
  • See Your Dentist Regularly – This is the most important step for you to avoid an oral cancer situation. Dr.’s Justin and Mehrdad Emami will go over your mouth and identify any area of concern. From there, we will keep a close eye on you and your dental condition, and make sure that we are there to provide the care you need as soon as possible. The health of your smile and your whole body are top priorities at Galleria of Smiles.

 

Your health is not something you can afford to play around with. Call Galleria of Smiles today to get an oral cancer screening, and make sure you are safe from this kind of nightmare. You can contact our Tulsa office at (918) 496-8010, or reach out to our Sand Springs location at (918) 245-5976.

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Accessibility On Our Website

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 are recognized and acknowledged as the international standard measure of success. We regularly test our site to ensure we meet or exceed that standard and also consistently look for ways to improve the web site’s performance, speed, and accessibility.

We are committed to continuously improving access to our goods and services by individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to use any aspect of this website because of a disability, please call 918-233-3669 and we will provide you with prompt personalized assistance.

If you have trouble seeing web pages, the US Social Security Administration offers these tips for optimizing your computer and browser to improve your online experience.

If you are looking for mouse and keyboard alternatives, speech recognition software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking may help you navigate web pages and online services. This software allows the user to move focus around a web page or application screen through voice controls.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, there are several accessibility features available to you.

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Closed captioning provides a transcript for the audio track of a video presentation that is synchronized with the video and audio tracks. Captions are generally visually displayed over the video, which benefits people who are deaf and hard of hearing, and anyone who cannot hear the audio due to noisy environments. Most of our website’s video content includes automated captions. Learn how to turn captioning on and off in YouTube.

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Your computer, tablet, or mobile device has volume control features. Each video and audio service has its own additional volume controls. Try adjusting both your device’s volume controls and your media players’ volume controls to optimize your listening experience.

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Your Privacy
Privacy Policy

This privacy notice discloses our privacy practices and the use of Google Analytics 4(GA4), an analytic advertising feature. This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this website and the GA4 platform. It will notify you of the following:

  1. What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the website and GA4 platform, how it is used, and with whom it may be shared.
  2. The choices available to you regarding the use of your data.
  3. The security procedures in place to protect the misuse of your information.
  4. How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.

Information Collection, Use, and Sharing
We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.

We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

While Galleria of Smiles is the primary data controller, Google, in the context of providing Google Analytics service, acts as a data processor. We use Google Analytics 4, a widely recognized web analytics service provided by Google, Inc., to track user interactions and gather data for advertising purposes. As a third-party vendor, Google Analytics operates independently and maintains its own privacy policy, which can be found at https://policies.google.com/privacy. We carefully select our third-party vendors for their commitment to user privacy and adherence to data protection standards. As part of our ongoing commitment to your privacy, we implement measures to ensure that services like GA4 comply with our high standards of data protection.

GA4 collects certain personally identifiable information from you as you interact with our website. This information includes but is not limited to your device ID, IP address, and geographic location. The information collected through GA4 is used to analyze user behavior, optimize our website’s performance, and tailor our content to better serve your needs. This data is compiled and anonymized, ensuring that it cannot be linked back to individual users.

Please note that GA4 may share the information collected with Google and other third-party service providers to enable data processing and reporting on website usage. However, we will not sell, rent, or share your information, especially your personally identifiable information, with any third party outside of our organization.

Your Access to and Control Over Information
You have certain rights regarding the data collected by GA4. You have the right to do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:

  • See what data we have about you, if any.
  • Have us delete any data we have about you.
  • Express any concern you have about our use of your data.

In addition to opting out of any future communications from us at any time, you may also opt out of the GA4 feature if you so choose. You can opt out of the GA4 Advertising Features we use through Ads Settings, Ad Settings for mobile apps, or through the NAI’s. This link points to Google Analytics’ currently available opt-outs for the web https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/

Security
We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline. GA4 also follows industry best practices to protect your data both online and offline.

To ensure data protection while we are using GA4, we are implementing additional security measures that include and are not limited to:

  • limiting data access,
  • using secure protocols,
  • managing data sharing with Google

Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the Web page.

While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

Contact Us
If you have any concerns about the use of GA4 or believe that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, please contact us immediately. We are committed to addressing any privacy-related issues promptly and transparently.

By using our website and consenting to the use of GA4, you acknowledge and agree to the data collection and processing practices described in this notice. For more information about GA4 and its privacy practices, please review Google’s Privacy Policy on this link https://policies.google.com/privacy.

If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately.

Notice of Privacy Practices
Notice of Privacy Practices

This privacy notice discloses the privacy practices for our website. This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this website. It will notify you of the following:

  1. What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the website, how it is used and with whom it may be shared.
  2. What choices are available to you regarding the use of your data.
  3. The security procedures in place to protect the misuse of your information.
  4. How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.

Information Collection, Use, and Sharing
When Personal Health Information (PHI) is requested, we abide by all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) rules and regulations to protect your information and privacy. We are required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and our rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect. This notice takes effect January 1, 2019, and will remain in effect until we replace it. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make the changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this Notice and make the new Notice available upon request. You may request a copy of our Notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this Notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this Notice.

Wherever we request sensitive information (such as personal health information (PHI)), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the Web page.

We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.

We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than to perform quality of service analysis and as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to respond to your queries. We may use your information to review our interactions with you and to help us improve and provide you with the best experience possible.

Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

Your Access to and Control Over Information
You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:

  • See what data we have about you, if any.
  • Change/correct any data we have about you.
  • Have us delete any data we have about you.
  • Express any concern you have about our use of your data.
  • Revoke an authorization previously made
  • You have additional rights, please contact the office for the latest copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices and to ask any questions.

Security
We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.

Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as personal health information or credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the Web page.

While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example: billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

If you feel that we are not complying with your rights, you should contact us immediately via telephone or email. You also have the right to contact Health and Human Services (HHS) (https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/). We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Terms of Service
Terms of Service

Entering this site or the links accessible through this site, you agree to be bound by this agreement. The information and the resources contained on and accessible through this site are made available by Galleria of Smiles and/or its suppliers and vendors, and are subject to your agreement to their terms and conditions.

All contents copyright (c) Galleria of Smiles

All rights reserved, Galleria of Smiles makes this website available to all users for the sole purpose of providing educational information on health-related issues.

The accuracy of website, information, and resources identified are not warranted or guaranteed, or intended to be a substitute for professional health advice, to contradict health advice given, or for health care of any kind.

Your use of this website indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use and you expressly agree to be bound to the foregoing terms and conditions.

All materials on this website, including the site’s design, layout, and organization, are owned and copyrighted by Galleria of Smiles, or its suppliers or vendors, and are protected by U.S. and international copyrights.

Material on this site may be used for personal use only. Commercial use of any sort is strictly prohibited.

Use of Resources & Information
This site may not be used as a supplement or alternative for health care, and is not intended and does not warrant or guarantee the quality or quantity of any services of any of the advertisers identified; further, the information provided is merely for educational purposes, and its accuracy is not guaranteed. Do not use this site as a substitute for health care. Please consult with your doctor or other health care provider regarding any health questions you may have. This site may not be used for health diagnosis or treatment. Do not use this site to disregard any health advice, nor to delay seeking health advice, because of something you read or see in this site.

You understand and agree that neither Galleria of Smiles nor its suppliers or vendors or linked domain names are responsible or liable for any claim, loss, or damage of any kind, directly or indirectly resulting from your use of this site or the information or the resources contained on or accessible through it.

Galleria of Smiles expressly disclaims any implied warranty or representation about the information or accuracy, relevance, completeness, timeliness or appropriateness for any particular purpose of any kind. Your use of this site is also subject to all additional disclaimers that may appear throughout the site.

Other Internet Sites Links
This site also includes links to other internet sites created and maintained by Galleria of Smiles’s suppliers, vendors, affiliates, or subscribers. Be aware that Galleria of Smiles does not control, makes no guarantees about, and disclaims any express or implied representations or warranties about the accuracy, relevance, completeness, timeliness or appropriateness for a particular purpose of the information or the resources contained on these or any other internet sites.

Further, the inclusion of these links is merely for your convenience and is not intended and does not reflect Galleria of Smiles’s opinion on the accuracy or the importance of these other sites; further, Galleria of Smiles does not endorse in any manner any of the views expressed in, or products or services offered by these other sites. All information in any site by Galleria of Smiles, or associated or linked site, is extracted, read, used, or relied upon by you at your own risk.

Disclaimer of Warranty
Galleria of Smiles and its suppliers and vendors disclaim all express or implied representations or warranties regarding the information, services, products, materials, and any other resources contained on or accessible through this site, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. All information provided by Galleria of Smiles is made available “as is” and “as available” without warranty of any kind, or any express or implied promise, including, by way of example, its continuing availability.

Limitation of Liability
With respect to products, goods, or services purchased from any entity identified, listed, named or contacted through Galleria of Smiles’s website, or any links to Galleria of Smiles’s website, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Galleria of Smiles or its suppliers or vendors be liable for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, incidental, exemplary, contractual, or consequential damages, or any damages whatsoever of any kind, resulting from any loss, which by way of example, includes loss of use, loss of data, loss of profits, business interruption, litigation, or any other pecuniary loss, whether based on breach of contract, tort (including negligence), product liability, or otherwise, arising out of or in any way connected with the use or performance of this site, with the delay or inability to use this site, or with the provision of or failure to make available any information, services, products, materials, or other resources contained on or accessible through this site, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

You acknowledge and agree that the limitations set forth above are elements of this agreement, and that this site would not be provided to you absent such limitations.

Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Galleria of Smiles and its suppliers and vendors from any liability, loss, claim, and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) related to your violation of this agreement or use of this site in any manner. Your use of this site shall constitute your acceptance of the terms of this Agreement, as revised and modified, if any, each time you access this site. Galleria of Smiles may modify this agreement at any time, and such modifications shall be effective immediately upon posting of the modified agreement.

Miscellaneous
Galleria of Smiles’s failure to insist upon strict enforcement of any provision(s) of this agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any provision or right.

This agreement and the resolution of any dispute related to this agreement or this site shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Oklahoma, without giving effect to any principles or conflicts of law. Any legal action or proceeding between Galleria of Smiles or its links, suppliers or vendors and you related to this agreement or this site shall be brought exclusively in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction sitting in Tulsa County, Oklahoma.

Copyright
All materials on this website, including the site’s design, layout, and organization, are owned and copyrighted by Galleria of Smiles or its suppliers or vendors, and are protected by U.S. and international copyrights.

Links
This site contains links to other sites. Galleria of Smiles is not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites that are linked to us.

Questions
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding Galleria of Smiles’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, please contact us.

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