This is a check executed by our professional to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth. Our dentists will perform an examination of your mouth during your regular checkup. Early detection is the best way to prevent severe illnesses from escalating fast. Not all lesions in your mouth are signs of oral cancer. Other non-cancerous changes that may occur in your mouth’s tissue include oral warts and autoimmune lesions. You may fail to notice them when brushing your teeth or flossing. However, our experts will not miss the symptoms. You can visit us to have these symptoms examined to determine whether they should be removed or monitored. At Smile Family Dentistry, we provide oral cancer screening services.
The main goal of oral cancer screening is to detect any signs of mouth cancer. These include precancerous lesions that may cause mouth cancer. Early detection of mouth or throat cancer provides an opportunity for dentists to remove the lesions and begin the cancer treatment. It may be a lifesaving procedure. Oral cancer screening may give you a head start in the fight against cancer if it’s detected in its early stages. There are factors that increase the chances of an individual having oral cancer. They include heavy smoking of tobacco and the use of other tobacco products, heavy drinking of alcoholic products, and exposure to the sun for long periods of time. However, the number of people that do not smoke or drink getting diagnosed with oral cancer is also increasing. The number of people diagnosed with mouth and throat cancer keeps increasing. It is important to have an oral cancer screening every time you go for a dental exam. The procedure is very short; it only takes about five minutes.
During the screening, our experts will inspect the inside of your mouth to check for mouth sores or any white or red patches. Using gloved hands, our dentist will feel your mouth tissue to check for lumps or any other abnormalities. Finally, our professional will then examine your throat and neck for lumps.
After our dentist has carefully observed your mouth, they may find lesions, sores, or lumps or not. If we discover any signs of mouth cancer, we will advise you on the next cause of action. Oral cancer screening is done mostly with hands and eyes. Our specialists have to be sure that the lesions or sores they saw during the screening could be a sign of cancer. If there’s any uncertainty, we will recommend that you get further testing from a cancer specialist. If we identify some suspicious lesions or sores, we can request that you visit us in a few weeks. We will check whether the lesions or sores are still present and note whether they have grown or changed in any way during that time. After identifying the lesions or sores, we will then carry out a biopsy procedure. Our professionals will remove parts of the lesions or sores to collect cell samples for laboratory testing. The collected samples will confirm if the sores contain cancer cells. Call Smile Family Dentistry for your oral cancer screening at 925-825-1130 today or request an appointment online.