Oral Cancer Screenings

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Oral Cancer Screenings

Did you know that oral cancer is twice as common in men as in women?

According to preventcancer.org, almost 50,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year, and almost 10,000 will die of the disease. Early detection is a key to surviving it.

Have you ever been screened for oral cancer? Every exam at Dr. Crowley’s office includes an oral cancer screening.

When looking for oral cancer, the dentist will check for lesions, sores and/or red/white patches in the mouth. Dr. Crowley will wear a glove and feel the tissues inside your mouth, checking for any lumps or abnormalities. If you wear dentures (or partials), you’ll be asked to remove them so the dentist can conduct the check-up properly.

Oral cancer screenings may involve the taking of a sample of tissue to be further examined and/or a referral to a specialist. Sores, discolorations and anything else out of the ordinary should be checked and then re-checked a few weeks later to figure out what’s truly going on.

Sometimes there are certain lesions in the mouth that mimic oral cancer, such as herpes simplex and aphthous ulcerations. Normally these ulcerations will resolve themselves within two weeks’ time.

What can cause oral cancer? Generally speaking, oral cancer causes can include the heavy use of alcohol, tobacco use (including cigarettes and chewing tobacco), and intense sun exposure over time (which, by the way, increases a person’s risk for developing lip cancer).

Crowley Family Dental cares about people’s health and well-being. With that in mind, oral cancer screenings matter and are a part of every exam– the sooner cancer is found, the better chances that a person can fully recover from it.