Oral Cancer Screening

Each year in the United States, more than 35,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer, which represents about two percent of all cancers diagnosed in this country. Oral cancer is treatable when caught early. Unfortunately, despite the high survival rate of oral cancer, most oral cancer is only detected in later stages, when treatment can be more difficult and less effective.

Oral cancers are also referred to as head and neck cancers, not including brain cancer. As noted, the sad reality is that the death rate for oral cancer is so high, not because it’s difficult to diagnose, but because it is caught so late in its development. Many patients don’t even realize there is a problem, as it often does not involve pain, visible lesions or obvious symptoms, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. The danger arises when oral cancer is not detected and continues to grow and spread, metastasizing to other locations such as the lymph nodes of the neck. This is why early detection is so important.

Now The Good News

Our office offers an oral cancer screening as a routine part of our oral health examination. Most patients should visit their dentist at least every six months for their cleaning and checkup. At this time we thoroughly examine your mouth for any anomalies. Early detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions starts with your routine dentist visit. Your dentist knows what to look out for and can easily determine if you have any suspicious oral spots, sores, or other tissue. Patients often are unaware of such tissues owing to their small size and benign appearance.

The chances are you do not have oral cancer – but with screening so simple and painless, why not make sure?