An oral cancer screening is a vital part of every comprehensive dental examination, and if you haven’t had one lately, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your East Greenbush Dentist, Dr. J. Craig Alexander.
Having regular oral cancer screenings can catch the early signs of mouth cancer before it has a chance to progress. Oral cancer can be treated successfully if tongue, cheek, lip, and throat cancer is caught early on. According to Dr. Alexander, a qualified dental professional can detect about 84 percent of oral cancers in the early stages.
Velscope
Dr. Alexander uses the Velscope screening test to look for any abnormalities. The simple and painless test looks at your oral tissue to detect any problems that you may have using specialized lights. If anything abnormal is detected, a sample will be sent to the lab for additional testing.
Who’s at Risk?
- People over 40
- Tobacco Users
- Heavy Alcohol Drinkers
- HPV Sufferers
- An Unhealthy Diet
- Prolonged Exposure to the Sun
Although there is no solid proof, people who have been diagnosed with mouth cancer usually have one or more of the above risk factors, however there are some people that have no risk factors what so ever which is why an oral cancer screening from your East Greenbush Dentist is so important.
See your Dentist if you:
- Have white or red patches on your tongue and in your mouth
- Patches or sores that don’t heal or bleed
- Hard spots or lumps in your mouth
- Pain or numbness when you bite down
Treatment and Prevention
The best way to prevent any type of oral cancer is to schedule regular dental appointments for cancer screenings. Although Dr. Craig cannot diagnose you during your cancer screening, he can send anything to the lab that looks suspicious.
If you would like to schedule an oral cancer screening with Dr. J. Craig Alexander, call or click and make an appointment today.