Oral Cancer Screening
An oral cancer screening is a precautionary examination that we do to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth. The purpose is to identify mouth cancer at its earliest point so it can be treated.
Oral Cancer is usually detectable and curable, but can affect the following:
- lips
- cheek lining
- gums
- tongue
- floor and roof of the mouth
- back toward the throat
Factors that can increase the risk of oral cancer include:
- Tobacco use of any kind, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, among others
- Heavy alcohol use
- Previous oral cancer diagnosis
- History of significant sun exposure, which increases the risk of lip cancer
There are over 30,000 new cases of oral cancer are found each year in the United States. Your dental care provider stands as your first resource for the detection and cure of this disease.
Report to your trusted Kennewick dentist immediately if you discover any of these signs/symptoms in your mouth:
- Sores that easily bleed and do not heal
- Thick or hard lumps
- Persistently rough or crusted areas
- Numbness, pain, or tenderness that may be new or persisting
Your dentist also needs to know if you notice problems with chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving any part of your mouth or tongue.
At Tri City Dental Care we routinely screen for oral cancer as part of every checkup or cleaning.
