Better Safe Than Sorry: Oral Cancer Screenings At The Dentist

Oral Cancer Screening

When it comes to health checkups, people may not always be on top of the proper schedule. For instance, with at least one regular dental checkup every six months, we can help to keep your teeth healthy with more than just a professional cleaning. We can examine the mouth for any signs of infection, other conditions, and even signs of oral cancer.

Early detection allows patients to take a proactive approach and seek proper medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment. Read more to learn how easy it is for us to incorporate an oral cancer screening into a regular dental checkup.

We can provide you with an oral cancer screening in Columbia during a regular checkup. The screening is a simple step that can help to save your life. While oral cancer is something that most people do not think about, it is all too common. In fact, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation, one person dies in the United States every hour due to oral cancer.

This terrible disease impacts people of all ages, regardless of whether or not one appears to be healthy. Therefore, it is critical to receive regular screenings at least once every six months. The screenings are not as complex as people think.

Who needs an oral cancer screening in Columbia?

People of all ages can benefit from oral cancer screening during an appointment. Since it is an easy process, there is no reason to avoid receiving this screening. While different forms of cancer can occur in patients of specific ages or lifestyle choices, symptoms of cancer are not immediately noticeable in the early stages.

For years, it has been thought that smokeless tobacco was healthier than smoking cigarettes and a safer alternative. While this is better for your lungs than smoking, chewing tobacco poses a direct risk to your mouth. People that chew tobacco are 60 times more likely to come down with oral cancer. This statistic makes quitting smoking and chewing tobacco the single most important thing one can do for health.

The Oral Cancer Foundation also states that those with a particular strain of HPV are at risk for developing oral cancer. This strain of HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that there is a vaccine for. We recommend speaking with a physician, and if diagnosed with HPV, let us know. That way, we can conduct a screening even more frequently. As it is, those that use chewing tobacco or have HPV should schedule an oral cancer screening twice a year.

Why is this important?

Early detection is critical because it makes early treatment possible. One of the reasons that oral cancer claims so many lives is that people do not catch it early enough. It is impossible to see the inside of your mouth and check for symptoms without assistance. When there are physical signs of cancer, it can be hard to identify them yourself. As a dentist, we can see what is happening inside of your mouth and determine if anything appears to be out of the ordinary such as:

• Rough patches
• Red and white bumps
• Hard lumps

We can conduct a thorough oral cancer screening in Columbia so that you will know the condition of your health and can take steps to address it. While we do not treat cancer in our office, we can provide you with a referral and give you suggestions for the next steps.

For those that are not at high risk, we still recommend they have an oral cancer screening in Columbia on an annual basis during a dental checkup. Call our office and schedule yours today.

Information for this blog was gathered from the Oral Cancer Foundation's website.

Davis & Dingle Family Dentistry

At Davis & Dingle Family Dentistry in Columbia, we work to customize your treatment to match your needs and schedule where possible. Our professional staff aims to create a calm atmosphere for you during the appointment and treatment process. We will identify any dental issues you are struggling with and work with you to find the solution that works best for you.

Our staff seeks to create a comforting environment at the office to ease patients into the procedure. We can help prevent damage to your teeth and set you on track for a lifetime of quality oral health. At Davis & Dingle Family Dentistry, your dental health is our prime concern.