Oral Cancer Screening

Your dentist may perform an oral cancer screening during your routine dental check-up. Detecting oral cancer early means a much greater chance of a cure. Your dentist will check for white or red patches, or mouth sores, during your dental oral exam.

Most people with abnormal mouth sores usually find that the sores are non-cancerous. However, an oral exam doesn’t determine this, so if abnormal sores are found by your dentist, a biopsy may be taken and investigated.

Who needs an oral cancer screening?

Those patients with a high risk of oral cancer will likely benefit from an oral cancer screening. The factors affecting those who are at risk are: 

● Heavy use of alcohol

● A previous oral cancer diagnosis

● Tobacco use of any kind, including cigars, cigarettes, pipes, chewing tobacco, etc.

During your appointment, your dentist will tell you if an oral cancer screening is required. Be sure to ask about ways to reduce your risk of oral cancer, such as avoiding alcohol or quitting smoking.