Oral cancer is a severe disease that affects millions of people each year and can be fatal if left untreated. However, if you’re at a high risk of developing oral cancer, you should conduct your at-home screenings. A self-exam once a month will go a long way toward ensuring your mouth stays healthy if you’re a big drinker, a tobacco user, or at risk of developing HPV. Oral cancer screening surprise can provide all the facilities to the cancer patient.
Look for sores and swelling on your face and neck.
Look in the mirror for asymmetrical lumps, which are lumps, lesions, or swelling that appear on one side of your neck or face but not the other. If you don’t have cancer, your head, face, and neck should all be symmetrical; any asymmetry could suggest the presence of the disease.
Feel for Bumps on Your Lips
Checking your lips is the next step in an oral cancer examination. Pull your upper lips up to your chin and examine your lips and gums. Look for any lumps on your lips and for discolored spots as well – a red or white patch or a fast shift in color could suggest that you’re getting oral cancer, especially if it lasts longer than two weeks.
Be aware, however, that not all gum discoloration is cancerous.
- Additional tests may be required as a result of cancer screening. Many people experience mouth sores, and the vast majority of these lesions are not malignant. Biopsy, Imaging test, and endoscopy are some additional tests.
- An oral exam cannot distinguish between malignant and non-cancerous lesions.
- The only way to know for sure if you have oral cancer is to remove some abnormal cells and test them for cancer via a biopsy procedure.
How do you get ready?
There is no need to prepare for an oral cancer screening.
What you may anticipate?
Your dentist will examine the inside of your mouth for red or white patches, as well as mouth sores, during an oral cancer screening exam. Your dentist will also feel the tissues in your mouth with gloved hands to check for lumps or other abnormalities.
Can A Dentist Detect Oral Cancer At An Early Stage?
Oral cancer can be detected early and treated well. Regular screening detects oral cancer early. Your dentist will do an oral cancer screening to check for any indications or symptoms of mouth cancer like odd lumps, ulcers, or discolored areas inside the mouth.
The following is a list of what to expect at your screening:
Examining the interior of the mouth. Your dentist will examine the skin lining of your mouth and gums first. They’ll also use a gloved hand to feel different sections of your mouth.
Keeping an eye on the jaw and throat. Following a thorough examination of your mouth, the clinician will feel for any lumps in the jaw and neck that could indicate malignancy.
- To check for abnormal tissue, your dentist may use a blue dye or a special screening light.
- They will have you swish a dye-containing liquid around in your mouth for several seconds before spitting it out.
- This allows the dye to interact with the cells that line the inside of your mouth.
- The blue dye (methylene or toluidine blue) helps clinicians see aberrant cells more easily. The blue dye attracts precancerous and cancerous cells, which appear as blue areas within your mouth. Dentists in Surprise give restorative dentistry in Surprise AZ.