How Your Dentist Helps Spot Oral Cancer
It is important to get yourself checked from the dentists so that they can help you in improving just than smile. The dental checkups also help in diagnosing the signs of dreadful diseases like oral cancer. It is recommended to see a dentist in AZ 85382 once a year to keep the mouth healthy.
The probable causes of cancer are as follows:
- Using tobacco which includes smoking, chewing dip, or using snuff
- Regular drinking of alcohol
- Having history of oral cancer in past
- Spending more time under the sun
- Chewing betel quid
During a Screening Test
There are different levels of the oral cancer screening and the dentist in Peoria, AZ will perform a basic examination consisting of:
- Your lips
- Your gums
- Your tongue
- Inside of cheeks
- Roof of the mouth
- Back of the throat
If you wear dentures, the Peoria dentist may ask you to remove the dentures for checking the tissue under them. The dentist may check skin under your chin or move them around for feeling the tissue. The dentist may also feel underneath your jaw. The examination should take less than 5 minutes. The aim of dentist is to look for lumps or spots that can be a sign of cancer.
If There Are Signs of Cancer
If the oral cancer screening and the dentist in Peoria, AZ observes any signs of something unusual, you may need another appointment few weeks later so that the dentists can determine if anything has changed in few days. They may also suggest for a biopsy where a small piece of tissue is taken from the area causing trouble and sent to the lab for testing it for cancer. The dentist may himself perform the biopsy or refer you to another doctor who can perform the biopsy.
You must remember that not every spot or lump the dentist finds is cancerous. So, no need to be anxious or have a panic attack. However, if they are benign, the early diagnosis is helpful in treating the dreadful disease at an early stage.