Nicole Gibbs wanted whiter teeth for her friends wedding and her new dentist didn’t oblige after examining her mouth and noticing a growth on her palate. She said it had been there for 5 years. Her doctor said it was a ‘bony growth’ and nothing to worry about. Her dentist at that time agreed.
You can NEVER know what something is unless it’s biopsied.
Fortunate for 26-year old Nicole, her new dentist had a new sense of alarm gently stating he didn’t think it was a ‘bony growth.’ He recommended a biopsy which she did the next day: Salivary Gland Cancer.
As a professional tennis player ranked 137 in the world, Nicole learned life lessons from the experience and reevaluated her priorities. Her fiancee said, ‘If this is the worst thing that happens to us, it will be the best thing.’
She is about a 6-month survivor now. Here is more about Nicole’s story: https://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/story/_/id/27301030/nicole-gibbs-dental-visit-led-cancer-diagnosis-how-reaffirmed-love-tennis
Nicole, you are your own best advocate. Look in your mouth regularly. Feel your neck. Give yourself a good Six-Step Screening Self-Exam. And, know that if you need someone to talk to who has been through it, feel free to reach out.
Does your dentist examine your palate in an oral cancer screening?
