Oral cancer screening consists of a particular examination performed by a doctor or dentist to look for malignant lesions inside the oral cavity. Although, it also includes the evaluation of surrounding tissue and other parts of the head. The goal of this examination is to detect oral cancer in its early stages, which significantly increases the chances of curing the disease. Depending on your lifestyle choices, your dentist could suggest an oral cancer exam in Kissimmee. Here’s everything you should expect from this procedure.
A Physical exam
The National Cancer Institute encourages cancer screenings to take place before symptoms start to appear. Your dentist in Kissimmee will analyze, your neck, your lips, and the inside of your mouth. Any dental appliance you’re wearing needs to be removed for this step. The dentist will touch your head, your jaw, your cheeks, under your chin, and inside your mouth to look for suspicious masses or nodules. Signs of malignancy are nodules that are painful, swelling in the surrounding tissues, and immobility. If your throat is also evaluated, they will ask you to swallow.
An Oral exam
After evaluating all the surrounding tissues, the dental professional will take a look inside your mouth. They will be on the lookout for anything that looks abnormal in size, texture, or color. Important things to detect are if you have asymmetries, patches of redness, bumps, or swellings. For this part of the exam, your dentist will need the help of special tools. Usually, these include a dental mirror, a tongue depressor, or a special light. The examination needs to be very thorough so it may take a while. Your dentist will also examine your tonsils, your inner cheeks, your gums, the roof of your mouth, and the underside of your tongue.
Remember that any dentist near you can perform an oral cancer screening. If you want to receive it as a precautionary measure, you can ask about the procedure at your dental clinic in Orlando.
Special devices
Besides using a mirror, tongue depressor, and lights, your dental professional may use special tools to perform the screening. The most frequently used are the VELscope, which is a tool that uses visible blue light to identify abnormal tissue; the Oral CDx, which is a special brush that removes cells for lab testing; and the theOrascoptic DK, which releases an acidic mouth rinse to aid in the inspection of tissues. Specialized dyes are also often used to help dental professionals identify lesions.
Making a diagnosis
It’s not possible to make a diagnosis with the screening as it’s only a precautionary measure. The screening is to locate abnormalities that will later be tested for a proper diagnosis. However, if your dentist near you doesn’t find anything wrong during the exam they still might ask you to return periodically if you have risk factors. Some risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing oral cancer are the use of tobacco and alcohol. If you regularly use these substances, be sure to schedule an appointment for an oral cancer exam near you. According to the American Dental Association, early oral cancer diagnosis decreases health problems related to the treatment.
If you have any questions or concerns during the examination, don’t hesitate to talk openly with your dentist in Kissimmee about them. Communication is the key to a good patient-dentist relationship that will last for years. They’ll do their best to provide you with the answers you need and put you at ease.