Oral cancer affects up to half a million people around the world each year, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.
However, advances in modern dentistry have given dentists the information to do early screenings that detect symptoms in the very early stages.
In this article, we share what to expect when you have an oral cancer screening, either as part of routine preventative care by your family dentist in Surprise, AZ or due to any worrisome health symptoms.
What Is Oral Cancer?
As the American Dental Association (ADA) explains, there are two different types of mouth cancer.
The first type appears in the mouth, and the second in the area of the upper throat, tonsils, and back of the tonguee.
Maintaining affordable dental care can help ensure that any early signs or symptoms of oral cancer are caught quickly so that you can receive immediate treatment.
Who Is at Risk for Cancer of the Mouth?
As WebMD points out, certain people have a higher risk of developing pre-cancer or cancer of the mouth tissues.
These risk factors are thought to predict a higher risk of developing cancer of the mouth and oral tissues:
- Being male
- Being age 50 or older
- History of smoking or nicotine use
- History of excessive alcohol use
- Genetic history of oral cancer
- History of early sun over-exposure
- Past incidence of HPV (human papillomavirus).
However, approximately one-quarter of diagnosed patients do not have a history of smoking or alcohol abuse.
What Are the Symptoms Associated With Oral Cancer?
In this section, we examine the most commonly reported patient symptoms that are thought to indicate oral pre-cancer or cancerous conditions.
- Bleeding that cannot be attributed to any other cause
- Sores, ulcers, lesions, and patches of red or white that show up and are not resolved.
- Persistent soreness, tenderness, redness, or irritation that does not go away.
- The feeling of a lump, a thickened tissue, a crusty area, or a depression in the tissue that does not heal.
- Changes in bite alignment
- Changes in mouth, tongue, or jaw function that lead to difficulty swallowing, speaking, or chewing.
- A persistent sore throat
- Hoarseness, numbness, or laryngitis
- An unexplained change in voice
The best dentist surprise, AZ, will be skilled in recognizing these early warning signs and recommending a full screening to identify what is causing them and get you the appropriate treatment.
What Is the Screening Process for Mouth Cancer Like?
As the National Cancer Institute explains, there is no standardized diagnostic and screening process to detect mouth cancer.
In fact, screenings are typically preventative rather than diagnostic. The goal is to detect any changes or early warning signs while the patient is still in the pre-cancerous stages.
It can be very stressful to suspect you may have mouth cancer. Knowing what to expect when you visit your dentist for a dental health care, surprise can help ease the stress.
1. Take your individual and family medical history.
It will be essential for your dentist to learn about your individual and family medical and dental history.
This offers an excellent opportunity to pinpoint recent changes to oral health, bite alignment, jaw health, recent problematic symptoms, and other warning signs.
As part of this process, it will be essential for you to find out if family members have had mouth cancer, as this may indicate you are at higher risk as well.
Your dentist will also ask you about your personal and lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise, sleep quality, hydration, and tobacco and alcohol use.
2. thoroughly examine your mouth, throat, and jaw.
The first step in the mouth cancer screening process is for your dentist to perform a thorough visual and manual examination of your mouth, teeth, gums, tongue, tonsils, and upper throat.
Your dentist will look for areas that may be tender, discolored, misshapen, or changed in some way that could indicate the early onset of mouth cancer.
Your dentist will also examine and then palpate your face and throat to detect unusual lumps, swollen lymph glands, tender areas, or other warning signs.
3. Order diagnostic tests as needed.
Your dentist may want to take tissue samples of a lump, bump, or discolored area to analyze it for cancerous cells.
As Colgate points out, today’s diagnostic tests are painless and fast.
There is a small scraper tool that painlessly collects cells for diagnostic testing and a blue light tool that can detect subtle tissue changes noninvasively.
There is also a mouth rinse that, while not excellent tasting, is undoubtedly not painful and can help identify tissue changes.
There is also a small camera that your dentist can use to examine less accessible areas like the nose and the back of the throat. Typically, only a mild topical anesthetic is required to use this camera as part of the diagnostic process.
What to Expect After Your Mouth Cancer Screening
Once your mouth screening is complete, your dentist may need to wait for the results of any diagnostic tests. Or perhaps the examination did not yield any significant warning signs, and you seem perfectly healthy.
Depending on your screening results, you may need to return regularly for a re-screening. This may be especially recommended if you smoke, vape, or use nicotine or you drink alcohol regularly.
Your dentist may also refer you for more tests to investigate symptoms that may or may not be connected with developing mouth cancer.
It will be up to you and your dentist to decide what makes the most sense for your unique situation, preferences, and individual and family medical history.
Having regular screenings can help keep you safe from mouth cancer.