Oral Cancer Screening

 

Did you know that one person dies from oral cancer nearly every hour of every day? This is why an oral cancer screening is essential to your overall health. We perform an oral cancer screening at your cleaning visits to detect oral lesions early. The earlier cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions are detected, the greater the chances of successful prevention, treatment and recovery.

 

What are some risk factors?

 

- More common in men than women

- Greater risk after age 35

- Tobacco use

- Frequent alcohol consumption

- Prolonged exposure to sunlight (lip cancer)

- A diet low in fruits and vegetables

- The sexually transmitted infection HPV

**Approximately 25% of oral cancer cases have no known risk factors

 

What are some of the symptoms?

 

- Red and/or white patches in the mouth

- Any sore that doesn't heal within 14 days

- Persistent hoarseness

- Feeling like something is caught is the throat

- Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue

- Difficulty in swallowing

- Ear pain on one side only

- A sore under a denture that doesn't heal

- A lump or thickening in the mouth or on the neck