Oral Cancer Screening

The primary importance of dental cancer screening is obvious — identifying mouth cancer or precancerous lesions as early as possible. Cancerous lesions are easiest to remove or treat when they’re still at an early stage.

The number of people displaying oral cancer symptoms has been rising in recent years. The exact reason for this rise isn’t obvious, but one thing has become increasingly clear — anyone can get oral cancer. You may suffer from mouth cancer even if you’ve done everything right to avoid it. As such, everyone should seek regular oral cancer exams.

While oral cancer may occur to anyone, you’re at a higher risk of oral cancer if:

• You consume tobacco in any form, including cigars, chewing tobacco, smoking, cigarettes, pipes, etc.
• You’re constantly exposed to direct sunlight, which increases the risk of mouth cancer.
• You’re a heavy alcohol drinker.
• You’ve been diagnosed with oral cancer previously.

Oral cancer often gets confused with mouth cancer, however, the two bear a slight difference. Oral cancer is a subset of mouth cancer. Signs of mouth cancer may develop in your lips, gums, tongue, the inner lining of the cheeks, or the roof and floor of your mouth. However, signs of oral cancer develop within the mouth — the inner lining of the cheeks, roof and floor of the mouth, or in your oral cavities.

During your dental cancer screening, your dentist will look for signs of mouth cancer and signs of oral cancer. The following are the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and oral cancer:

• Lip or mouth sores that don’t heal.
• Red or white patches inside your mouth.
• Loosened teeth.
• Lumps inside the mouth.
• Mouth pains.
• Earaches.
• Difficulty while swallowing.

During your dentist oral cancer screening test, the dentist will look inside the mouth for signs of oral cancer, such as white and red patches or abnormal lumps. The dentist will also feel around inside your mouth because some of the signs of oral cancer are felt rather than seen with the naked eye. Your dentist will also examine your throat and neck for lumps and mouth cancer signs.

Following the visual and physical inspection, your dentist may also use an oral cancer screening test.

• Oral Cancer Screening Dye: The dentist will ask you to rinse with a special blue due before the oral cancer exam. The dye will cling to the abnormal cells, staining them blue, making them easier to detect.
• Oral Cancer Screening Light: The dentist may shine a special light into your mouth during the oral cancer exam. The light will highlight abnormal tissues as white, setting them off against the dark healthy tissues.

If your dentist identifies signs of mouth cancer or signs of oral cancer, they will ask you to return in a few weeks to see if the abnormal cells are still present. The dentist may also extract a small sample of the cells for laboratory testing to determine if they are cancerous cells.