Did you know that oral cancer kills one person every hour in the United States? And close to 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral oropharyngeal cancer every year.
The good news is your dentist in Arcadia is trained to look for oral cancer and any signs of tissue change in your mouth. The screening is painless and takes less than two minutes.
At your routine preventative hygiene appointment, they perform a head and neck exam as well as an oral cancer screening. Doctors and hygienist can feel for any swollen glands, lumps or bumps that should not be there. They can identify and differentiate between traumatic or possibly cancerous lesions.
Early diagnosis is the key to increasing the success of treatment because often lesions cannot be seen by the patient. A doctor can notice small tissue changes and can recognize oral cancer in the early stages. If you do notice a lesion in your mouth that has not gone away after two weeks it is imperative that you call your dentist for an evaluation and screening as soon as possible.
Oral Cancer Screening
Extraoral Exam
- Your dentist in Arcadia will examine your face and neck. He will look for swelling, skin abnormalities and moles.
- He will observe your lips and outside of your mouth for any chapping, moles or color changes.
- He will palpate under your chin and down your neck muscles to see if any of your lymph nodes are enlarged or feel abnormal. The thyroid gland, located in your neck, will also be felt for any swelling or asymmetry.
Intraoral Exam
- Your lips will be pulled up and down to look at the labial mucosa.
- A mirror will be used to look at your cheeks and palate. You may be asked to say “Ah” while sticking your tongue out to view your oropharynx, uvula and tonsils.
- You will be asked to stick your tongue out and then the doctor will pull your tongue to the right and left to examine the lateral borders.
If abnormality is indicated an intraoral photograph of the lesion will be taken, from which m proper measurement will be taken whether it be further testing via adjunctive screening tools, biopsy or referral to an oral surgeon.
Thus, prevention is key and very important to schedule and keep your routine preventative hygiene appointments in order to proactively maintain healthy teeth, mouth and life.
For further information or to schedule an appointment with the highly reputable and experienced Dr. Omid Farahmand, DMD of OF Dental Care please visit www.OFDentalCare.com or contact the Arcadia office at 626.254.1948.