Oral Cancer Screening If you have been to a dentist or dental hygienist and had these specialists hold your tongue to feel areas around the roof or base of the mouth during a routine appointment, you may wonder what exactly they were doing. Or maybe you have been told that you are at risk of having oral cancer and need to see a dentist. It also could be that you want to know more about oral cancer screening. Ideally, oral cancer screening should take place before the symptoms start to show, says the National Cancer Institute. An oral cancer screening procedure is considered a precautionary activity or process that dentists or dental hygienists can perform during a routine checkup. At The Strongsville Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry, we provide cancer screening during routine exam visits and on other separate visits. What is It Like to Have Oral Cancer Screening?Getting screened for oral cancer can be as easy and quick as just brushing your teeth. The Mouth Cancer Foundation notes that a comprehensive screening for oral cancer can take as little as two minutes or even less. Mouth cancer affects any area of the oral cavity of your mouth. There are different parts of the mouth that you may not have considered that a dental hygienist or dentist can inspect. Oral cancer screening covers areas of the oral cavity in addition to connected tissues that can be found in the sinuses, pharynx, larynx, and throat. The screening can indicate that you have no problems, or it could trigger early treatment should signs of cancer be found. Components of Mouth Cancer ScreeningOften, oral cancer screening includes a visual exam. This makes up a major part of the screening. Therefore if you wear dentures or other removable oral appliances it is important you remove them prior to screening. As such, you allow the dentist to examine the entire mouth. Our dentist will be checking for swelling, patches of color, bumps, asymmetric spots, ulcerations, and other abnormalities. The dental specialist will observe your lips, neck, cheeks, face, jaw, oral cavity, inside the nose, and other parts that are significant in oral cancer screening. Using light and a mirror, the dentist looks inside the mouth. A tongue depressor is used to hold down the tongue to allow the dentist to check the back of the mouth. The dentist will also ask you to expose areas of the throat by sticking your tongue out. This way, they can examine those areas that may be difficult to see. The dentist will also use VELscope technology to help check all areas of the mouth. The combination of an LED light with a specific blue light wavelength and optical filter, helps identify changes in cellular tissue. The Physical ExamIn addition to a visual examination, our dentist also does a physical exam that involves touching your mouth, face, and neck in order to feel for irregularities such as unusual masses and nodules. The Oral Cancer Foundation says that touch is very important for a dentist to find any abnormalities linked to cancer of the mouth. A tactile inspection allows our dentist to find any presence of hard lumps of tissue. Often, mouth cancer is painless during its early stages, but sometimes, the cancer symptoms can be painful. It is because of the aspect of the early symptoms being painless that calls for our dental team to screen you regularly because you may not realize that you have the symptoms of cancerous cells. Talk to our team at The Strongsville Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry to find out more about mouth cancer screenings. Book your appointment today to get screened by calling (440) 580-1028. |
Contact Information11925 Pearl Rd #206 Strongsville, OH 44136-3343 (440) 580-1028 info@drweiser.com Follow Us |
