If you have a checkup coming up soon, you may be aware that part of it will entail an oral cancer screening. This is a vitally important part of the checkup, as oral cancer is one of those diseases that is best detected early.
However, you may wonder what you can expect from an oral cancer screening. If you’re curious, here’s what you can expect it to feel like.
What Does the Exam Look Like?
The exam will usually begin by looking at the patient’s neck—the dentist will check for any hard, immobile lumps that could be indicative of a growth.
Then, the dentist will look inside the patient’s mouth for anything that seems abnormal. Red or white patches are common indicators of oral cancer, as are sores that bleed easily and won’t heal. The dentist will look in the mouth for something that stands out.
Finally, using gloved hands, the dentist will feel inside the lips and cheeks for lumps or protrusions. This examination will take seconds and won’t involve any discomfort.
Then you’re done! If nothing seems amiss, the dentist will move on with the checkup. All in all, most oral cancer screenings last a matter of seconds.
Extra Tools
While the above method is usually plenty thorough, some dentists use screening tools to make the task easier. Screening dye is a common one—the patient will be asked to swish around a dye that is absorbed by sores or ulcers, making them stand out.
Screening lights are similar. These lights are shined into the mouth and make any abnormalities glow a different color than the rest of the mouth.
What Comes Next?
If the dentist does find something worrying, they’ll likely schedule a follow-up appointment with you. There are all kinds of diseases and abrasions that look cancerous at first, but most of these conditions will heal with time.
If the problem is still present weeks later, the dentist will likely take a biopsy and send it to a lab for assessment. This will be the best way to determine whether cancer cells are present.
About Our Practice
At Advanced Dental Concepts, we believe in being the best at everything that we do. That means not only offering people high-quality dental care but also making every part of the appointment as simple and easy as it can possibly be. Our team has decades of experience restoring people’s smiles to perfection, so we’re happy to help you with whatever you could need.
If you have any questions about oral cancer, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (219) 926-7595.