Have you been seeing burgundy and white ribbons around more often? A lot of them can be randomly spotted tied around tree trunks at the park or bumper stickers on the backs of people’s cars. It’s because dentists and citizens alike are trying to spread awareness of a dark reality that tends to be overlooked: oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, approximately 49,750 patients will be diagnosed with oral cancer in 2017, probably causing about 9, 750 deaths. That’s roughly 1 death per hour, 24 hours a day! April is National Oral Cancer Awareness month and it’s important that patients know how to prevent themselves and their loved ones from it. Your Columbia dentist is here to inform you about high-risk factors, symptoms, and how visiting Columbia Healthy Smiles for checkups, cleanings, and oral cancer screenings can help prevent your family from ever suffering from this deadly disease.