Oral Cancer Screening An oral cancer screening is a method used by dentists to detect signs or precancerous or cancerous conditions in the mouth. The primary goal of an oral cancer screening is to find mouth cancer early on when the possibility of curing it is still high. The screening is mainly done during regular dental exams. Your dentist will check your mouth for swellings, ulcerations, discoloration, tumors, asymmetry, and other oral defects. They also examine your oral cavity, jaw, face, cheeks, neck, lips, and inside your nose. Visit Columbia Dental to book an oral cancer screening.What Are the Advantages of an Oral Cancer Screening?There are numerous advantages associated with oral cancer screenings. The most significant benefit is that it assists in the early diagnosis of precancerous tumors that could lead to oral cancer. If detected in time, these lesions are simple to remove, and the patient recovers entirely. Mouth and throat cancer diagnoses have increased considerably in recent years. The rise is attributed to the high use of tobacco products such as pipes, cigars, snuff, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco. Furthermore, exposure to the sun for an extended period raises the risk of developing lip cancer. In addition, mouth cancer risk is increased by heavy alcohol usage and past oral cancer diagnosis. Preparation for Oral Cancer ScreeningAn oral cancer screening doesn't require any advance planning because dentists can perform it during routine dental visits. During your routine oral exams, the dentist will look for sores, red, or white spots in your mouth. They'll be able to detect any tumors or other abnormalities in your oral tissues. Dentists have the option of performing additional tests to look for oral cancer. These include using an oral cancer screening light and oral cancer screening dye. The dentist will shine a bright light into your mouth during the examination to check for oral cancer. When illuminated, the abnormal tissues in your mouth turn white, while healthy ones turn black. On the other hand, oral cancer screening dye entails washing your mouth with a special blue dye before the inspection. Once the mouth has been rinsed with the dye, all abnormal cells turn blue, allowing your dentist to identify them quickly. If the dentist finds any signs of oral cancer or precancerous lesions, they may encourage you to come back in a few weeks to see if the abnormal region is still there and if it has altered or increased. Dentists may recommend a biopsy, which involves extracting a sample of cells and sending them to a laboratory for further cancer cell analysis. Your dentist may refer or recommend you to an oral cancer expert for further or special treatment. Visit Columbia Dental to learn more about oral cancer screenings. Call us today at (860) 743-9032 to schedule an appointment. |
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