Oral Cancer Screening is a dental procedure that helps detect oral cancer and precancerous symptoms in patients. It is an essential practice that looks for signs and symptoms of cancer in the mouth. Our dentists use a digital imaging system that helps to view the mouth in detail. At Radiant Dental Care, our dentists can perform oral cancer screening which gives us a chance to treat the condition at the earliest.
Signs of Oral Cancer in Patients
- The patient experiences pain and difficulty while swallowing food and drinks.
- There are white or red patches visible in the mouth.
- The patient may also experience pain in the mouth, jaw, or ear.
- There may be soreness in the throat that increases every day.
Benefits of Oral Cancer Screening
- Oral cancer screening can save your life. A simple screening helps to detect and diagnose cancer in patients. It also enables the dentist to initiate the treatment for the patient if needed and avoid further complications.
- It is an easy process that can be done at the dentist’s office. The dentist can perform the screening during a routine dental checkup in one appointment. The throat, cheeks, gums, tongue, and roof of the mouth would be checked for lesions that might signify cancer.Â
- Oral cancer screening is an affordable procedure. Most patients can get their teeth checked through a regular dental checkup at the dentist’s office.Â
The Procedure of Oral Cancer Screening
The dentist begins the screening process through a regular dental checkup. A special light is used to get a better view of the mouth. Some dentists make the patients wash their mouth using a blue dye before the procedure, which helps get a better idea of the abnormal cells in the mouth. Â
The dentist then examines the tongue and back of the throat to view signs of disease. They also look for lesions or patches in any part of the mouth. The dentist scrapes a small part of the lesion and sends it for biopsy in case of any abnormalities. The dentist will then request a follow-up appointment to discuss the results of the biopsy.Â
Oral cancer screening helps in the early detection of oral cancer which helps to initiate the treatment immediately. Radiant Dental Care, located in Pasadena, TX, provides the best dental services to patients that help to treat oral problems. Call (281) 991-6530 and schedule an appointment with the dentistry to know more about oral cancer screening and receive a complete dental checkup.