Oral Cancer Screening
Like other forms of cancer, early detection and treatment are essential to the most successful treatment outcomes for patients with oral cancer. Unfortunately, no official oral cancer screening protocol exists. This means that, when it comes to checking patients for oral cancer, there is no recommendation that healthcare professionals follow like they do with other types of cancer.
At ONE Dental, we’re here to fill in the detection and diagnosis gap by providing routine oral cancer screenings during every dental examination.
What Is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer refers to several different types of cancer that affect any part of the mouth. This includes cancers of the lips, cheeks, tongue, gums (gingiva), the floor of the mouth, hard palate, and soft palate.
Oropharyngeal cancer refers to cancers that affect the anatomy of the throat and pharynx.
Who Is at Risk for Oral Cancer?
While everyone has some small chance of developing oral cancer, certain factors can put you at an elevated risk. These risk factors include:
- A previous oral cancer diagnosis
- Excessive alcohol consumption or use (mouthwash that contains alcohol)
- Tobacco use of any kind
- Excessive sun exposure
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
- Family history of oral cancer
Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cancer
If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms of oral cancer, we recommend scheduling a screening appointment right away.- Mouth sores that do not heal or go away on their own
- Unusual red, white, or red and white patches in the mouth
- Changes in tissue textures
- Lumps or bumps in your mouth, lips, cheeks, or neck
- The feeling of having something caught in your throat
- Trouble swallowing
- Unexplained hoarseness or loss of voice
- Sore throat
- Jaw pain or stiffness
- Ear pain
- Loose teeth
- Unexplained bleeding from the mouth
What To Expect During an Oral Cancer Screening
An oral cancer screening includes a visual examination of your oral cavity in addition to the palpation of your soft tissues, which allows our dentist to both look and feel for abnormalities that could indicate oral cancer.
What Happens If the Dentist Finds Something During a Cancer Screening?
If we find any abnormalities or changes that we think could be oral cancer, we first talk with you and explain what we found and answer any questions you might have.
The next step is typically to take a biopsy to determine whether the tissue cells are cancerous or not. We are fully equipped in our office to perform biopsies. You are also welcome to schedule an appointment with your general practitioner, or we can refer you to an oncologist for further testing.
Schedule Your Next Preventive Dental Care Appointment in Miami
To improve the chances that our patients detect oral cancer early and have more successful treatment outcomes, a routine oral cancer screening is included with every dental examination and dental cleaning appointment.
To learn more about oral cancer screening or to schedule your next appointment, we welcome you to contact ONE Dental today.