Oral Cancer Screenings in Dallas, TX
Approximately 53,000 people every year are diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal cancer, most of which are men. That’s why having oral screening for mouth cancer at dentists’ offices is very important. In its early stages, oral cancer is curable, but as it progresses, it can be fatal, and many people die from it every year.
Symptoms of Oral Cancer
Dentists are among the first doctors to be aware that a patient may have oral cancer. As they’re examining the patient’s teeth, they may see the first symptoms indicating the disease. These symptoms are:
- Mouth sores that don’t heal
- Lingering bad breath
- Continual mouth pain
- Red or white patches on gums, tongue, the lining of the mouth, or tonsils
- Feeling like something is stuck in the throat
- Difficulty with swallowing or chewing
- Lump or thickening of the cheek
- Loosening of the teeth
Several other symptoms exist, but those listed are some of the symptoms that our dentists at Yes Dental may find during a dental examination.
What Dentists Are Looking For
Our dentists specifically look for red or white patches on the inside of the mouth, on the tongue, or around the lips. He will also look for sores that easily bleed or are not healing, thickened, hard spots or lumps, and a rough or crusted area in the mouth.
If our dentists at Yes Dental suspect oral cancer, they will advise you to make an appointment with a specialist in Dallas, TX, to examine the spot they’ve found. A biopsy is necessary to diagnose cancer, which is a service we do not provide.
The sooner that diagnosis is made, the sooner the treatment can begin to cure oral cancer. That is one of the reasons our oral cancer examinations are thorough. The quicker the problem is found, the more likely it is to be cured.
If you have any of the symptoms, either tell your oral cancer dentist or make an appointment with your physician to have them do an examination. Don’t hesitate, but get the exam as quickly as you can.