Oral Cancer Screenings

When you visit Park Row Dental, one of the most essential preventative dentistry services you can receive is an oral cancer screening. Oral cancer screenings take place as part of your twice-monthly dental exam, at the same time your dentist checks for other types of oral disease. A relaxed and comfortable visit to the dentist every six months can potentially save your life when it comes to this type of cancer.

The Importance of Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screenings take place without you even realizing they happen. These visual and physical exams of your mouth and connected tissues intertwine with routine checkups and diagnosis of dental problems. But having this checkup reassures you that you do not show early signs of oral cancer. If your dentist does find possible signs of oral cancer, you can receive early intervention before the disease progresses.

Your Park Row Dental dentist sometimes recommends oral cancer screening based on your lifestyle, such as if you smoke or chew tobacco. If you fear the potential for this type of cancer, you can also ask your dentist to perform an oral cancer screening in Arlington, TX.

About Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is like other cancers occurring elsewhere in the body. This form of the disease occurs when abnormal cells divide uncontrollably, usually on the lower lip, inside the mouth, in salivary glands or tonsils, on the back of the throat or esophagus, or on the tongue. Oral cancer screenings can find signs of oral cancer in these places or elsewhere in soft tissues of the mouth.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that you receive oral cancer screenings in Arlington, TX, before you show signs of potential disease. So you should visit your dentist twice yearly for this visual and physical exam throughout your life.

Oral Cancer Screenings

A visual exam is one part of an oral cancer screening in Arlington, TX. For this exam, your dentist examines your face, neck, lips, nostrils, and oral cavity. If you wear dental appliances, you must take out removable ones for this exam.

Your Arlington, TX dentist looks for swelling, bumps, color patches, ulcerations, asymmetry, or other abnormal signs in your nose, mouth, face, and neck. The dentist uses a light and a mirror as needed to clearly see all areas, as well as a tongue depressor to see into the back of your mouth while holding down your tongue. You may need to say, “Ahhh,” as you do during a doctor’s exam. The dentist also visually examines your gums, inside your cheeks, the roof of your mouth, throat, tonsils, and beneath your tongue.

After visually examining your tissues, the dentist conducts a physical oral cancer screening in Arlington, TX. This part of the exam involves touching your head, cheeks, jaw underside, beneath the chin, and inside the oral cavity. The dentist looks for nodules, masses, or lumps.

If your dentist finds signs of potential oral cancer, he usually recommends follow up examination or care through referral to a specialist. It is essential to take these screenings, exams, and any recommended treatments seriously. Your overall health relies on ensuring you find any oral cancer early and get the care you need.

Complete Dental Care in Arlington, TX

Park Row Dental provides screenings for oral cancer and other dental problems as part of your twice-yearly dental visit. Other critical dental services offered at Park Row Dental in Arlington include: -

• General dentistry
• Family dentistry
• Restorative dentistry
• Preventive dentistry
• Endodontic treatment
• Cosmetic dentistry
• Dentures and crowns

For the wellness of yourself and your whole family, schedule six-month dental exams with oral cancer screenings. Call Park Row Dental now at 817-801-9500 to set your appointments and stay on track in your best oral health.