April 15, 2025 • 8 mins
April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, and Louisville’s own Dr. Pat Carroll from Exceptional Dentistry joins Tony Cruise and Scott Fitzgerald to shine a light on the signs, risks, and importance of early detection. Learn why your next dental visit could be a life-saver and how simple screenings can make a big difference. Feel free to listen this important conversation that could help protect you and your loved ones.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. We don't want to
(00:02):
think we're celebrating oral cancer, but we're just trying to
brace people's awareness about this very serious, uh, this very
serious issue. So I appreciate you guys having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, it's our pleasure to do that.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
I mean, unfortunately, this disease is not funny, and it's
something that is happening throughout the world, right you.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Know, I come on every year to talk about it,
and you know, I always start with symptatistics, which are
you know, a little dry, but you know, there are
over fifty nine thousand cases of world cancer a year
in the United States. There's about six hundred and fifty
seven thousand worldwide. And the thing that really bothers me
when we talk about this is every year I come
(00:45):
on and the numbers don't change a lot. I mean,
we're trying to make head rows on excuse me, headway
against this disease. But it's tough, you know, and that
doesn't sound like a lot and people thinke girl cancer,
you don't hear a lot about it, but there are
over there. Physically, if you do the math, there's over
one person an hour that dies from the complications of
world cancer in the United States every day, So you
(01:07):
know that that is a number that I think we
should be very concerned about.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Go ahead, Oh that's okay, doc, Doc.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Are there any early warning signs people should be looking
for if they're listening at home, maybe they just brush
their teeth, or they took a look in their mouth
and some just didn't feel right.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Well. You know, when you look at oral cancer, if
you see something red, white raised, the word indurated or
kind of you know, the kind of puckers in those
kind of things. You see something that on your tongue
or your gumbs, I mean, don't panic right away, but
watch that for a week or so. If it if
it doesn't go away, then you know, give your dentist
to call up gain and take a look. You both
(01:43):
know that when you guys come in bi annually or
whenever we see you, you know, I do that weird
thing where I grab the dolls and I pull your
tongue out, and you know exactly, And I'm always the
hard time I see a patient. I'm always trying to
explain to them why I'm doing this, because it's like,
why this weird guy go in my tongue. But that's
the only way we can we can see because the
(02:03):
most common prop places for oral cancer are on the
poster or lateral borders of the tongue and the floor
of the mouth. That's where we see oral cancer caused
by tobacco drinking, and those are don't get wrong, tobacco
is still the leading cause of oral cancer. But the
leading cause in oral cancer and people under fifty is
(02:24):
caused by the human papeloma virus or HPV. And the
problem with that cancer is that starts from what we
call the oral phnix, which is basically way back on
your tongue, your tonsils, your tonsilar pits, which are very
difficult for genes to see and very difficult for any
physicians to see. The sad thing about this, and I
(02:44):
definitely don't want to get political here, but HPV cancer
is caused by the HPV sixteen virus. We have one
of the most effective vaccines to prevent that from happening.
You know, HPV virus also causes uterine cancer, the sixteen
And so the idea is if you pediatricians to tell
you if you get your children vaccinated somewhere around the
(03:07):
ages of nine to twelve to fifteen. In those areas,
we can pretty much wipe that out. It is one
of the most effective vaccines in the world. So if
you have children, please talk to you pediatrician about that.
And they've recently raised the recommendation that even people in
their twenties early twenties, they're recommending to get this vaccine
(03:30):
to try to reduce the risk of that because that's
what we're seeing the increase. We're sort of seeing tobacco,
those kind of things go down, but we're seeing this
AHTV go up. So that's the most Vaccinate your children.
Vaccinate your children. All that.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Good morning.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We're with doctor pack Carroll extraordinari to Exceptional Dentistry, and
it's a oral cancer Awareness month. Doc just kind of
putting a lid on this, I mean obviously not well.
I guess people don't hear a at it as much
because of the way most people get the oral cancer.
(04:05):
If you so, is that what you think that that
why it's not discussed very much?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, right, I think it's just, you know, it's one
of those things that's not prevalent. It's not the hot topic.
You know, it's not the sexy topic. About cancer, but
I think it's something that everyone needs to be aware of.
You know, some people think, you know, I've lost my teeth.
I don't even know that. We want our even our
denser patients to come in at least once a year
so that we can give them a real good screening
and look for those kind of things, because there's something
(04:34):
that's really you know, really people don't really look at.
You know, people that are dipping and they hold that
dip in the same spot. We sometimes pull the lip
out and that area looks like a little prune. I
mean that the stuff just shrivels up, which it becomes
a very pre that's a pre cancerous lesion and most
of those will disappear if the people quit dipping. So
that's another thing we try to become a We try
(04:56):
to make our young people aware because I mean, I've
raised three sons and three sons of a dentist, but
as Scott, they all played hockey. Yeah, and you know
a lot of those guys are dipping on the ice
and stuff. And you know, even the kids, even the kids,
the sons of the dentist did that. So you know,
those are things we have to look at and be
watchful for. And some of the alternatives, like the kids
(05:17):
are dipping with now, and just to use it like
a zen's ey m, which looks like these little nicotine patches.
Now they're not thought to cause cancer or cancer, but
that nicotine nicotine is a vasil constrictor. In other words,
that makes your blood vessels tightened down, so it restricts
the blood supply to those areas. So even though we're
not bateral cancer here, it causes changes in the mouth
(05:39):
or because over dumber session and those kind of things. So,
you know, all these things we tend to think of
as safe alternatives. You're opening another door, you know, Okay,
well they're not doing this, but now we're doing this,
so you know, those are other things to think about.
Some of these alternatives, although better than dipping, they're not
really safe for some.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
People, you know, Doc, before we let you go in,
some don't want to drive home, and I try to
anytime we talk about you. If someone's listening to this
right now, maybe they are dipping, or maybe they're put
they think they're at risk for oral cancer or anything
else in their mouth.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
What do you say to folks who haven't been to
a dentist in years.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Well, you know that's and this is something we can
talk about. It another thing, Yeah, we do before Tony
retires the industry. There's so many things in the mouth
now that we know is connected. You know, I've just
been reading articles, articles and articles this last month about
this gum disease and dementia, gum disease and cardiovascular disease,
gum disease. So it's not just hey, I want to
(06:34):
like you guys, I want to take care of my chicklets,
because we do. But there's such a people tend to
forget that the mouth is a part of the body,
just like the hands, just like the lungs, just like
you know, your blood vessels. So it's important to keep
that healthy because it's not just impactful on your teeth
and the tackle on your whole body and the inflammation
and all the things we know that go with that.
So go to the dentists. We can we can find something.
(06:57):
We can help you if, as you all know, help
with the quality of your life, but we can also
maybe extend it. But getting healthy in the now. So
that's what I try to tell people. It's important.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It's important you've changed both Scott and I amen, brother life,
you're the best doc I can't and my wife still
is amazed that after getting a root canal through, you're
a friend of yours who's over there by you, who's
a hockey guy by the way from Michigan.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
He's great man.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yes he is, and it's hard to talk to him
though he's doing a root canal. But I got the
only things I want to talk to about hockey with,
but my wife.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
He does. And my wife's like, oh, you're going back
to work. I said, yes, I don't feel a thing.
It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It's come a long way. So please pla us that word.
We're actually not bad people, not.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
At all, not at all, all right, and just okay,
go ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I was just say on a personal note, hearing both
of you together on the radio, it kind of makes
my makes my day go better. It's got a box
another good thing that that's right with the world today.
I love to hear both of you guys together. Thanks
for having me on. I really appreciate.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Did you say I was retiring. I think we heard
that earlier this week. Didn't we get that?
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Oh I forgot it. I forgot I'm retiring. That's why
I'm retiring. Because I forget I'm retiring.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I know the feeling. Well, we're goome to get back
on here before you do, Tony.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Okay, absolutely good to talk, dog. I gotta come see you.
I had to reschedule my appointment by but I'm coming
to see you here in the next month or so.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
We'll be there. Thanks, all right.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
See you, buddy, Pat Carrol exceptional dentistry. Ten away from shaving,
Scotty have sports coming up? You know.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I'm gonna
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Charge anyway because I love it.
April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. We don't want to
(00:02):
think we're celebrating oral cancer, but we're just trying to
brace people's awareness about this very serious, uh, this very
serious issue. So I appreciate you guys having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, it's our pleasure to do that.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
I mean, unfortunately, this disease is not funny, and it's
something that is happening throughout the world, right you.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Know, I come on every year to talk about it,
and you know, I always start with symptatistics, which are
you know, a little dry, but you know, there are
over fifty nine thousand cases of world cancer a year
in the United States. There's about six hundred and fifty
seven thousand worldwide. And the thing that really bothers me
when we talk about this is every year I come
(00:45):
on and the numbers don't change a lot. I mean,
we're trying to make head rows on excuse me, headway
against this disease. But it's tough, you know, and that
doesn't sound like a lot and people thinke girl cancer,
you don't hear a lot about it, but there are
over there. Physically, if you do the math, there's over
one person an hour that dies from the complications of
world cancer in the United States every day, So you
(01:07):
know that that is a number that I think we
should be very concerned about.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Go ahead, Oh that's okay, doc, Doc.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Are there any early warning signs people should be looking
for if they're listening at home, maybe they just brush
their teeth, or they took a look in their mouth
and some just didn't feel right.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Well. You know, when you look at oral cancer, if
you see something red, white raised, the word indurated or
kind of you know, the kind of puckers in those
kind of things. You see something that on your tongue
or your gumbs, I mean, don't panic right away, but
watch that for a week or so. If it if
it doesn't go away, then you know, give your dentist
to call up gain and take a look. You both
(01:43):
know that when you guys come in bi annually or
whenever we see you, you know, I do that weird
thing where I grab the dolls and I pull your
tongue out, and you know exactly, And I'm always the
hard time I see a patient. I'm always trying to
explain to them why I'm doing this, because it's like,
why this weird guy go in my tongue. But that's
the only way we can we can see because the
(02:03):
most common prop places for oral cancer are on the
poster or lateral borders of the tongue and the floor
of the mouth. That's where we see oral cancer caused
by tobacco drinking, and those are don't get wrong, tobacco
is still the leading cause of oral cancer. But the
leading cause in oral cancer and people under fifty is
(02:24):
caused by the human papeloma virus or HPV. And the
problem with that cancer is that starts from what we
call the oral phnix, which is basically way back on
your tongue, your tonsils, your tonsilar pits, which are very
difficult for genes to see and very difficult for any
physicians to see. The sad thing about this, and I
(02:44):
definitely don't want to get political here, but HPV cancer
is caused by the HPV sixteen virus. We have one
of the most effective vaccines to prevent that from happening.
You know, HPV virus also causes uterine cancer, the sixteen
And so the idea is if you pediatricians to tell
you if you get your children vaccinated somewhere around the
(03:07):
ages of nine to twelve to fifteen. In those areas,
we can pretty much wipe that out. It is one
of the most effective vaccines in the world. So if
you have children, please talk to you pediatrician about that.
And they've recently raised the recommendation that even people in
their twenties early twenties, they're recommending to get this vaccine
(03:30):
to try to reduce the risk of that because that's
what we're seeing the increase. We're sort of seeing tobacco,
those kind of things go down, but we're seeing this
AHTV go up. So that's the most Vaccinate your children.
Vaccinate your children. All that.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Good morning.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We're with doctor pack Carroll extraordinari to Exceptional Dentistry, and
it's a oral cancer Awareness month. Doc just kind of
putting a lid on this, I mean obviously not well.
I guess people don't hear a at it as much
because of the way most people get the oral cancer.
(04:05):
If you so, is that what you think that that
why it's not discussed very much?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, right, I think it's just, you know, it's one
of those things that's not prevalent. It's not the hot topic.
You know, it's not the sexy topic. About cancer, but
I think it's something that everyone needs to be aware of.
You know, some people think, you know, I've lost my teeth.
I don't even know that. We want our even our
denser patients to come in at least once a year
so that we can give them a real good screening
and look for those kind of things, because there's something
(04:34):
that's really you know, really people don't really look at.
You know, people that are dipping and they hold that
dip in the same spot. We sometimes pull the lip
out and that area looks like a little prune. I
mean that the stuff just shrivels up, which it becomes
a very pre that's a pre cancerous lesion and most
of those will disappear if the people quit dipping. So
that's another thing we try to become a We try
(04:56):
to make our young people aware because I mean, I've
raised three sons and three sons of a dentist, but
as Scott, they all played hockey. Yeah, and you know
a lot of those guys are dipping on the ice
and stuff. And you know, even the kids, even the kids,
the sons of the dentist did that. So you know,
those are things we have to look at and be
watchful for. And some of the alternatives, like the kids
(05:17):
are dipping with now, and just to use it like
a zen's ey m, which looks like these little nicotine patches.
Now they're not thought to cause cancer or cancer, but
that nicotine nicotine is a vasil constrictor. In other words,
that makes your blood vessels tightened down, so it restricts
the blood supply to those areas. So even though we're
not bateral cancer here, it causes changes in the mouth
(05:39):
or because over dumber session and those kind of things. So,
you know, all these things we tend to think of
as safe alternatives. You're opening another door, you know, Okay,
well they're not doing this, but now we're doing this,
so you know, those are other things to think about.
Some of these alternatives, although better than dipping, they're not
really safe for some.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
People, you know, Doc, before we let you go in,
some don't want to drive home, and I try to
anytime we talk about you. If someone's listening to this
right now, maybe they are dipping, or maybe they're put
they think they're at risk for oral cancer or anything
else in their mouth.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
What do you say to folks who haven't been to
a dentist in years.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Well, you know that's and this is something we can
talk about. It another thing, Yeah, we do before Tony
retires the industry. There's so many things in the mouth
now that we know is connected. You know, I've just
been reading articles, articles and articles this last month about
this gum disease and dementia, gum disease and cardiovascular disease,
gum disease. So it's not just hey, I want to
(06:34):
like you guys, I want to take care of my chicklets,
because we do. But there's such a people tend to
forget that the mouth is a part of the body,
just like the hands, just like the lungs, just like
you know, your blood vessels. So it's important to keep
that healthy because it's not just impactful on your teeth
and the tackle on your whole body and the inflammation
and all the things we know that go with that.
So go to the dentists. We can we can find something.
(06:57):
We can help you if, as you all know, help
with the quality of your life, but we can also
maybe extend it. But getting healthy in the now. So
that's what I try to tell people. It's important.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It's important you've changed both Scott and I amen, brother life,
you're the best doc I can't and my wife still
is amazed that after getting a root canal through, you're
a friend of yours who's over there by you, who's
a hockey guy by the way from Michigan.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
He's great man.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yes he is, and it's hard to talk to him
though he's doing a root canal. But I got the
only things I want to talk to about hockey with,
but my wife.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
He does. And my wife's like, oh, you're going back
to work. I said, yes, I don't feel a thing.
It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It's come a long way. So please pla us that word.
We're actually not bad people, not.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
At all, not at all, all right, and just okay,
go ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I was just say on a personal note, hearing both
of you together on the radio, it kind of makes
my makes my day go better. It's got a box
another good thing that that's right with the world today.
I love to hear both of you guys together. Thanks
for having me on. I really appreciate.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Did you say I was retiring. I think we heard
that earlier this week. Didn't we get that?
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Oh I forgot it. I forgot I'm retiring. That's why
I'm retiring. Because I forget I'm retiring.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I know the feeling. Well, we're goome to get back
on here before you do, Tony.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Okay, absolutely good to talk, dog. I gotta come see you.
I had to reschedule my appointment by but I'm coming
to see you here in the next month or so.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
We'll be there. Thanks, all right.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
See you, buddy, Pat Carrol exceptional dentistry. Ten away from shaving,
Scotty have sports coming up? You know.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I'm gonna
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Charge anyway because I love it.
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