Oral Cancer Screenings and Your Dentist

When you visit the dentist you may not be aware of it but they are doing more than just checking your mouth for tooth decay or cavities. They are also checking your oral health for indicators of mouth cancer.

Even if you have regular physical checkups the chances are pretty great that your physician is not checking your mouth for the subtle signs and indicators of oral cancer. This is why it is vital to see your dentist on a regular basis for oral health screenings and preventative care.

Oral cancer can form in any part of the mouth or throat and it can often advance quite rapidly without any outward indicators of its presence other than some very subtle warnings inside your mouth that you may not see. The risk for getting oral cancer increases with age and males have a higher rate than females do for getting oral cancer. People who smoke, chew tobacco or drink alcohol are also at an increased risk for oral cancer. If you are in the high risk group you need to make sure you talk to your doctor about how often you need to be screened.

Mouth cancer can show up in just about any area inside your mouth including inside your cheeks or lips, the roof of your mouth, the soft palate and uvula, or the floor of your mouth, your tongue or even your gums and teeth themselves. Your dentist is often the first person to see the subtle indicators of oral cancer during a routine checkup.

Indicators that your doctor will be looking for when they do your yearly preventative screening include looking for cells that appear abnormal such as areas with patches of white or red spots inside your mouth, sores inside your mouth that don't heal, bleeding in your mouth or loose teeth. Other indicators include difficulty in swallowing or wearing dentures.

Of course a lot of these signs can also indicate non-cancerous issues that are strictly dental related problems so if you're experiencing any of them you need to consult with your dentist and rule out more common dental issues and not jump to the conclusion of cancer without a physician's diagnosis.

If your doctor spots any indicators that they believe are signs of cancer they will refer you to a specialist for a follow-up visit. When oral cancer is caught early on the success rate for a cure is quite high. Unfortunately oral cancer is one of the few cancers that has very few outward indicators of its presence and unless you have a dentist who catches it you may not even be aware there's a problem until you are in an advanced stage where the cure rate is significantly lower.

The next time you feel like canceling your dental appointment remember you are doing more than just having your teeth and gums examined you are also having a screening for potential oral health problems. Don't ignore your mouth and don't ignore your oral health.