Being diagnosed with oral cancer can be terrifying. That is why it is so vital to make sure you are getting properly screened, before ever needing to hear that diagnosis. But what can a person expect from an oral cancer screening? Here at Dental Center of Mesa, we want our patients to know exactly what motions they will be going through during an oral cancer screening with us:
The first thing your dentist will do in an oral cancer screening is a visual exam. The face, lips, inside of the oral and nose cavity, and the neck will all be checked for cancer. The dentist will look for all of the warning signs: swelling, discoloration, ulcerations, or any other abnormalities. During these checks, tools like small flashlights and mirrors will be used to get a sufficient view of the hard-to-reach places, like the back of the throat and the nose. If that wasn’t sufficient, your dentist will begin a physical exam- feeling around the jaw, the chin, the oral cavity, and the neck for any unusual masses.
To make sure our patients are protected further than just what the eye can see & the hand can feel – our dentist use advanced technology to screen patients for oral cancer. Your dentist can perform a multitude of checks, that will either check oral cells for cancer, or use a special blue light that can identify suspicious oral tissue. Your dentist might also use a nasopharyngolaryngoscope – a tiny camera inserted into the nose and down the back of the throat to look at the larynx and pharynx for signs of cancer.
Oral cancer checks are extremely important to preventing a cancer diagnosis, and in the spirit of Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we urge you to come see us to be screened. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors, give Dental Center of Mesa a call today at (480) 834-9001.