One of the most serious conditions that your dentist will regularly examine you for is oral cancer. This condition can be life threatening, and the fact that it can be easily mistaken for milder oral health problems means that patients often aren’t aware that they’re dealing with the issue until a dentist tells them.
For this reason, an oral cancer exam is a routine part of every checkup. If you want to know more about what that process entails, here’s a little more about these exams.
What Does an Oral Cancer Screening Consist Of?
It might come as a little bit of a surprise to you that your dentist even conducts an oral cancer screening; that’s because the entire process is incredibly easy and takes only moments.
Essentially, your dentist looks inside your mouth for any irregularities, like sores or bumps in the mouth. Some dentists will make use of specialized lights or dyes in order to make this easier, but this isn’t universal. They’ll also briefly feel around for anything that they won’t be able to see.
Once this is done, they’ll ask you to crane your head so that they can look at your neck. They’ll check for any swollen lymph nodes, which are a common indicator for oral cancer.
For most people, this is where the exam ends. In the event that your dentist finds anything out of the ordinary, they may collect a sample of the abnormality for the purposes of a biopsy.
What Are Some Signs of Oral Cancer?
If you feel like there’s something wrong with your mouth that could indicate oral cancer, you should talk to your dentist about it. This is especially true if the issue doesn’t resolve itself after a few weeks. Here are a few signs that you ought to watch out for:
- A sore on your lip or in your mouth that doesn’t heal
- Pain in the mouth that doesn’t go away
- A lump or thickening in the lips, mouth, or cheek
- White or red patches on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth
- Unexplained bleeding in your mouth
- Unexplained pain or numbness in your mouth or throat
About Our Practice
At Painted Skies Dental Center, we believe that prevention is the best medicine. For that reason, we do everything we can to make our practice a place that people will be happy to visit for preventive appointments. That means a friendly dental staff, comfortable office environment, and professional dentists who will communicate clearly with you. All in all, this is a place that you will be happy to call your new dental home!
If you have any questions about oral cancer exams, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (575) 521-8720.