Oral Health for Overall Health Update

Effective January 1, 2020, Oral Health for Overall Health will now cover head and neck cancers. Head and neck cancers is a group of cancers of the mouth, sinuses, nose, or throat. Treatment can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cryotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of treatments. Treatment side effects can include redness, swelling, irritation, sores in the mouth, dry mouth or thickened saliva or difficulty swallowing.

Head and neck cancers account for about three percent of malignancies – roughly 64,000 diagnoses, 14,000 deaths – in the U.S. annually. Primary risk factors associated with head and neck cancers include tobacco, alcohol, and HPV.

Oral Health for Overall Health’s condition expansion is important for inclusion of head and neck cancers because of the treatment side effects and how those impact one’s oral and overall health. Please share this information with your team in your next meeting to ensure all are aware and up to date with the latest and greatest information related to Oral Health for Overall Health!