Oral Cancer Screening

When you visit our office for your scheduled appointments, we usually perform a routine checkup to see the current state of your oral health. This is also a convenient time for the dentist to perform an oral cancer screening. We can check for early signs of oral cancer such as mouth lesions or red and white patches in your mouth, among others.

Benefits

The purpose of this screening is to detect oral cancer as early as possible. It’s a well-known fact that early treatment is much more effective compared to treatments applied at the later stages of the condition.

Take note however that the presence of mouth sores doesn’t always indicate that you have oral cancer. It’s actually quite common for people to have mouth sores. In most cases, they turn out to be non-cancerous. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, and a biopsy is the best way to check.

Preventing Oral Cancer

Some people are more likely to get oral cancer than others. If you’re a cigarette smoker or you consume tobacco by chewing it, then you’re more likely to get oral cancer. The same is true if you regularly drink alcohol in large amounts. If you’ve had oral cancer before, the presence of mouth sores may signify its return as well.

Check with your doctor if an oral cancer screening is appropriate in your case. If you’re a tobacco user or a heavy drinker, get some medical advice on how you can quit your harmful habits. It’s better for you to reduce the possibility of getting oral cancer in the first place, rather than to worry about treating it successfully.