Oral Cancer Screenings

According to the American Dental Association, 41,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and throat cancers this year. With 60% of the U.S. population visiting the dentist each year, your Bourne, MA dental office is the first line of defense for early detection.

As the premier oral health experts in Bourne, MA we take our role in your overall health to heart at Avita Dental Associates. Every routine dental exam that your Cape Cod dental providers perform includes more than diagnostic x-rays and a thorough cleaning. They also complete a potentially lifesaving mouth cancer screening that is executed with the sole purpose of identifying cancer early enough to significantly increase the chances of a full recovery.

What Is an Oral Cancer Screening?

Our oral cancer screenings consist of a verbal, visual, and physical examination, and they include the following:

A thorough review of your oral health history, as well as your overall health history, which includes questions that help assess your level of risk for mouth cancer.
A visual inspection of all the areas of your mouth and throat in an effort to locate any abnormalities, such as sores and red or white patches; this inspection includes the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, floor of the mouth, roof of the mouth, and far-back section of your tongue.
A check for suspicious lumps by palpating your mouth, jaw, and neck Though most sores (one of the primary signs of oral cancer) are noncancerous, the screening alone can’t determine this. If an abnormality is found, your Avita dentist may perform a biopsy (remove some cells for testing) or refer you to a mouth cancer specialist.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I be screened for oral cancer?

You should be screened at every routine dental visit.

If I am found to have mouth cancer, what do I do?

If you are diagnosed with cancer, your Avita dentist will refer you to a specialist so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible.

How do you treat oral cancer?

If you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be sent to a doctor who specializes in treating oral cancer. Treatment typically consists of removal of the cancerous growth followed by radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

Maintaining your routine dental visits with us ensures your smile continues to sparkle, but it also vastly improves the chance that abnormalities in your mouth will be caught early, which increases your chances of successful treatment should any be cancerous.

Have Questions? We Have Answers.

Call today to learn more about how Avita Dental Associates can protect your oral health, and to schedule an appointment with your Avita dentist!