Oral cancer screening is a procedure performed by your dentist at Blue Dental in Largo, FL as a part of your routine annual examination unless otherwise indicated. For people predisposed to oral cancer, the screening may have to be more frequent. Oral cancer screening is done to detect cancer or a precancerous lesion and provide early intervention.
A non-invasive procedure that you won’t even notice until you are informed of it, oral cancer screening is a meticulous visual and tactile examination of oral tissues such as lips, inside of the cheeks, gums, tongue, roof of your mouth up to the throat. Any deviation from normal will be noted by your dentist and will be conveyed to you. However, not every abnormal-looking tissue is cancer. Your dentist at Blue Dental will decide whether to perform further tests to confirm it.
Although the precise cause of oral cancer is unestablished, there are a host of factors that may lead to it, the salient ones being-
⇨ Tobacco consumption in the form of cigarettes, pipes or cigars
⇨ Smokeless forms of tobacco such as snuff, dip and chewable tobacco
⇨ Excessive alcohol consumption
⇨ Genetic or familial predisposition of certain individuals
⇨ Viral infections with Papillomavirus may cause oral cancer
⇨ Excessive exposure to sunlight
It is noteworthy that some individuals who do not consume alcohol or tobacco of any form may still get oral cancer. Therefore, get your oral cancer screening done even if you feel that you are not a candidate for it.
To save you from the hassle of complex and traumatic treatment of oral cancer, an early intervention is the best approach. If your dentist at Blue Dental suspects oral cancer, it can be promptly investigated and treated accordingly, before it spreads or causes extensive damage to oral tissues.
Your dentist at Blue Dental will examine your mouth for any red or white patches, oral ulcers and abnormal overgrowth of tissues if any. The oral examination is a non-invasive and painless procedure. Further tests may be performed by your dentist if required.
Furthermore, a sample tissue may need to be incised to take a microscopic look at the cells to check for abnormal cells by the procedure called a biopsy. The biopsy will require anesthesia and is a painless procedure.
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