oral cancer screenings
The goal of oral cancer screening is to identify mouth cancer early when there is a greater chance for a cure. Most dentists perform an examination of your mouth during a routine dental visit to screen for oral cancer. Some dentists may use additional tests to aid in identifying areas of abnormal cells in your mouth. Because implants fuse to your bone, they provide stable support for teeth. Dentures mounted to implants won’t slip or shift in your mouth — an especially important advantage while eating and speaking. This secure fit helps the dentures feel more natural and stable than conventional dentures.
Why are Oral Cancer Screenings Important?
During your next checkup, you may want to have an oral cancer screening to see if you are at risk of developing oral cancer. Oral cancer screenings are designed to try to catch the early signs of oral cancer before they progress to a more advanced stage.
Oral cancer screenings are important because oral cancer can be successfully treated if caught early enough. Approximately 84% of oral cancer cases can be detected early by a dental health professional. At 123 Dentist, we have many methods of detecting early signs of oral cancer with the newest, state of the art technology.
When your dentist does an oral cancer screening, they use many tools to look for any discolouration or mouth sores in your mouth. They then feel the tissues around your mouth for lumps or abnormalities. If they detect any form of abnormality in your mouth, they will send a sample of it to a lab for further testing.
FAQs
How do I know if I’m at risk for oral cancer?
Here are some key risk factors for oral cancer to help you determine if you are at risk:
- Age (People over 40 are more at risk)
- Smoking or tobacco use
- Heavy alcohol use
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Gender (Men are more susceptible than women)
- An unhealthy diet
- Prologued sun exposure
Although it is proven that people who have been diagnosed with oral cancer usually have at least one of these risk factors, there is a growing rate of people that are diagnosed with oral cancer who have no risk factors at all. Therefore, if you don’t have any of the factors above, oral cancer screenings are still important in maintaining your overall health.
What are the Oral Cancer Symptoms?
When a dentist does an oral cancer screening, they look out for the following symptoms:
Red or white patches in your mouth
Spots that continuously bleed or don’t heal
A lump or a hard spot in your mouth
Numbness or pain when you bite down on your teeth
Oral Cancer Treatment and Prevention
The best way to prevent oral cancer is through regular oral cancer screenings during your checkups. Your dentist won’t be able to diagnose you during the exam, but they will send a sample of your tissue to a lab to determine if it is cancer.
