Oral Cancer Screening

Every hour, one adult dies from oral cancers. In that same amount of time, you could visit our office for a comprehensive oral cancer screening. With nearly 50,000 people in the United States being diagnosed with oral cancer annually, it is of the utmost importance to receive an oral cancer screening at least once a year.

 

The Screening Process

Your dentist will perform a physical examination analyzing your mouth, teeth, jaw and bite. They will feel around your mouth for signs of oral cancer such as lumps and abnormal tissue. A light may be used to check for irregular mouth tissue that will shine white under light. If you are found to have abnormal red and white patches, you may need to submit to a biopsy for further testing.

 

A sample of the tissue in question will be sent to a lab and returned to the office to make an informed diagnosis. Sometimes, a mouth wash is used to identify present cancer cells. The patient will rinse and spit out the rinse in a cup. If there are blue spots in the mouthwash, this may be an indicator for oral cancer.