If you didn’t already know, April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a time when many reflect on this disease’s toll on the global population. For instance, it’s estimated that 54,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S this year. Among those new cases, 43 percent will not survive longer than five years.

As people remember those lost to oral cancer, they’d be wise to consider how to prevent it as well. In that spirit, here’s a guide that explains oral cancer’s nature, risk factors, and symptoms, as well as how to have your dentist check for it.

Dental care might be the last thing you’d consider when it’s time for a summer trip. You’re finally getting days away from the office, and your kids are excited to be school-free for a few months. Why start this glorious opportunity for fun with a trip to the dentist’s office?

There’s actually a good reason for it. To learn more, here are three significant benefits to seeing your dentist before your summer vacation!