Biannual dental checkups help you maintain a clean, healthy mouth. These appointments also allow your dentist to check for oral cancer. The overview below explains what to expect from a screening.

Why Is Early Detection Important?

Mitigating risk factors is the most effective method of preventing oral cancer. Tobacco and alcohol use, combined with a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables, increase the risk of developing oral cancer. 

Early diagnosis is the next best outcome. If a dentist detects signs of the disease early on, treatment may be less aggressive and successful, improving the patient’s quality of life. For example, when the condition is caught while only affecting the surface layer of oral tissue, surgically removing that layer is usually sufficient to stop the spread. In this case, nearly all patients survive without needing additional treatment.

What Happens If There Are Signs of Oral Cancer?

Some of the most common signs of oral cancer include red or white spots, hard lumps, and bleeding sores that don’t heal. You could also experience tenderness and pain when moving your tongue or jaw. If your dentist spots any unusual growths inside your mouth, they might schedule a followup appointment in a few weeks to see if they healed. In other cases, they may send you to a different dentist for a second opinion.

If the area of concern has not healed after a week or two, your dentist will recommend a biopsy. A small piece of the affected tissue must be removed and examined under a microscope for an accurate diagnosis. Some dentists collect the sample and send it to a lab themselves, but others may refer you to a specialist.

There’s a chance that the test will come back negative and the lump or spot will heal on its own. A positive test will result in an early diagnosis. Your dentist can begin discussing the best next steps with you.

With oral cancer screenings from C. R. Sfeir D.D.S., General Dentistry, you can achieve and maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. Serving Lorain, OH, and the surrounding areas, this family dentist offers personalized service that focuses on the comfort and needs of their patients. Having served the community for more than 25 years, their experienced team provides the best dental care available. Call (440) 960-5200 to schedule an appointment, or learn more about their services online.