Oral Cancer Screening

Did you know almost 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and throat cancers this year?  Oral cancer is a silent killer, and a disease that many people never realize they have it until it is in a progressive stage.  The goal of oral cancer screening is to identify mouth cancer early, when there is a greater chance for a cure.

Early detection is key to disease prevention and treatment.

Every routine dental checkup visit includes an oral cancer screening by Dr. Nguyen.  The screening will consist of a visual inspection of the oral cavity. The oral cavity includes your lips, cheek lining, gums, front part of your tongue, floor of the mouth beneath the tongue and the hard palate that makes up the roof of your mouth.   Regular visits to your dental checkup can improve the chances that any suspicious changes in your oral health will be caught early, at a time when cancer can be treated more easily. Dr. Nguyen may use additional tests to aid in identifying areas of abnormal cells in your mouth.

The symptoms of mouth or throat cancer can include:

  • a sore or irritation that doesn’t go away
  • red or white patches
  • pain, tenderness or numbness in mouth or lips
  • a lump, thickening, rough spot, crust or small eroded area
  • difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving your tongue or jaw
  • a change in the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth

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