Why Regular Oral Cancer Screenings Should Be Part of Your Annual Dental Checkup

Dental exams are a practical step to identify all problems related to your oral health. Most people visit their dentist twice yearly to diagnose and detect oral issues. With timely identification, you can start early treatment. Oral cancer screening has also become an essential part of regular dental checkups. It ensures early diagnosis and treatment.

This article will explain why cancer screening is essential and what preventive measures can help you identify it timely. You can also learn about the dental exam for oral cancer screening to understand risk factors better.

Is Regular Oral Cancer necessary?

Oral cancer has a five-year survival rate, with 57% of the population being alive after diagnosis. It takes only a few minutes to examine your lips, tongue, tonsils, and floor and roof of your mouth to determine signs of oral cancer. It is a common oral problem affecting one’s head and neck. With advanced tools, oral cancer screening has become a simplified procedure.

Some dentists recommend early detection of cancer before any symptoms appear. This can help you treat cancer at an early stage and make a recovery much faster. Oral cancer screening is not to identify and diagnose cancer but to look for signs of cancer. You will need a detailed session with an oncologist for further testing and treatment if signs are present.

How can a Dentist detect Oral Cancer Signs?

Dentists check for signs of any gum or oral issues in your mouth during your annual oral checkup. If they observe any abnormal areas, they might suggest oral cancer screening to identify problems. It will not diagnose cancer, but these steps will help you recognize signs of oral cancer. Let us learn about oral screening processes in detail:

Visual Exam
Dentists have tools that can help them identify every corner of your mouth clearly, even your tonsils. Your dentist might look for thick white patches, leukoplakia, or abnormal red areas called erythroplakia. Even the presence of lesions or abnormal tissue might need further testing. An oncologist can thoroughly test these signs and help you diagnose oral cancer early.

Palpation
The dentist also uses their fingers around your face to check bumps or lumps around your neck, face, or jaw. You must inform your dentist if you feel soreness or tenderness around these bumps.

Cancer Screening Dye
Many dentists also use toluidine blue dye to look for oral signs. They will coat lesions and check if they are likely to be cancerous. Toluidine blue dye is an oral cancer screening tool that can help them identify signs of cancer.

Cancer Screening Light
With modern tech, some unique lights are available in the market to identify abnormal tissue growth. Your dentist might ask you to rinse your mouth using a fluorescent mouthwash, and then they will use this oral cancer screening light. The abnormal tissue will look white and shiny, while the healthy tissue will remain dark.

Risk Factors Of Oral Cancer

Early detection can improve the success rate of your cancer treatment. People with any of the following habits or reasons must visit dentists for an annual oral cancer screening to detect signs early. It is not essential that only these people can get oral cancer. Let us observe some oral cancer risk factors:

• Gender (men are at higher risk)
• Excess sun or UV exposure
• Frequent Smoking and consumption of tobacco
• Poor Diet
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• HPV
• Age (individuals over 55 are more prone to oral cancers)
• A history of cancer in the family or genetics

Prevention Measures for Oral Cancer

Some preventive measures can help you reduce the risk of oral cancer to a certain extent. Here are some tips that can help you prevent oral cancer are as follows:

Limit Tobacco Consumption and Smoking
Consumption of tobacco is the leading cause of oral cancer. It is better to quit tobacco or at least limit its consumption. Smoking similarly affects your immunity. Smoking can increase the risk of infection, inflammation, and even oral cancer.

Limited Alcohol Consumption
If you can, you should not consume alcohol or should limit it. People with an oral cancer history in the family should avoid drinking.

Better Diet.
You must eat more fibrous fruits, vegetables, and fish. Foods with rich omega-3 fatty acids can help you prevent the risk of oral cancer. You also need vitamin D-rich food to increase your immunity levels.

Limit Processed Food
You should void consumption of red meat, processed foods, and sugary drinks as well.

Annual Dental Checkup
An Annual dental exam can help you identify early signs of cancer. It is a mandatory preventive measure that can help with early detection and treatment of oral cancer.

Practice Safe Sex
The risk of the HPV virus can result in oral cancer. You need to follow safe sex and reduce the risk of oral cancer.

Use SPF Protection
Overexposure to the sun can also result in skin or oral cancer. You must keep your face and mouth covered in sun and use a lip balm and sunscreen over SPF 30.

Conclusion

Once a year, oral cancer screening can help you effectively prevent and reduce signs of oral cancer. You must visit your dentist annually for oral exams and undergo screening for early detection to maintain optimal oral health.

You can contact Springtown Dentist, TX, for your oral cancer screening today. With annual dental checkups, you can get early diagnosis and treatment to increase your chances of survival.