Forest Hills, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/02/2015 --April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and a good time to take a closer look at the devastating facts of this dreadful disease. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, approximately 45,750 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2015. While some still believe oral cancer is rare, alarming statistics show that a person dies from oral cancer every hour of every single day.

Oral cancer includes those cancers that occur in the mouth itself, in the very back of the mouth, and on the exterior lip of the mouth. The rate of occurrence of these cancers has continued to increase for 8 years in a row - a fact that has Dr. Prabha Krishnan concerned. Contrary to popular belief, oral cancer is not just seen in patients that smoke, use chewing tobacco or drink heavier amounts of alcohol, although the risk is greater in these cases. There are also unknown factors as well as the recently discovered connection between the human papilloma virus (HPV, specifically HPV16) and oral cancer.

The good news is that when discovered at early stages of development, oral cancers have a very promising 80 to 90 % survival rate. "This high survival rate is the reason we give our patients an oral cancer screening each year", says Dr. Krishnan. New patients of Dr. Prabha Krishnan are always offered a complimentary visual screening at their first visit. The screening is quick, causes no discomfort and offers peace of mind.

During the visual part of the examination, Dr. Krishnan carefully looks for any abnormalities. Any red or white patches, mouth sores or lumps inside the mouth, including those that may be painless, may be cause for concern. Additional testing including a biopsy may be recommended to determine whether anything visible is cancerous.

About Dr. Prabha Krishnan
Dr. Prabha Krishnan is devoted to early discovery of oral cancer and understands the many positive impacts that can result from an early diagnosis including a potentially longer life span, reduction of treatment length or treatment types both of which affect quality of life. New patients are invited to take advantage of Dr. Krishnan's "Care to Share" offer* which includes a periodontal consultation, a professional cleaning, an exam, x-rays as well as a free oral cancer screening for just $89. (*Offer pricing is valid in the absence of gum disease.) Visit Dr. Krishan's website at http:///www.yourgumspecialist.com for more information or call 718-878-4878 to schedule a visit at her Forest Hills, New York location.