Over the last few years, there has been a massive increase in oral cancer cases. This increase has been evident in males above 40 years, without having any specific identifiable risk factors. Oral cancer is one of the most fatal diseases in the world today. But early detection of oral cancer cells leads to successful treatment. This is why dentists recommend routine for screening of oral cancer for evaluating precancerous conditions in the mouth.
This article will provide an extensive review of screening for oral cancer and its importance for our health.
What is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer usually forms when cells in the mouth or on the lips mutate. They usually occur due to a sore or growth in the mouth that doesn’t go away. Such tumors or sores can also develop on the tongue surface, inside the gums, lips, cheeks and palate. Oral cancer can be life-threatening if their is no early diagnosis.
What is Oral Cancer Screening?
Oral cancer screening is a dental health exam that focuses on checking precancerous condition in your mouth. This test focuses on the tooth cavity to evaluate different types of cancer. The screening is done on different occasions by a competent dentist. For oral cancer treatment Canada, the test is done during the phase of regular dental checkups, mainly if the dentist finds abnormal issues in your mouth. However, other oral cancer specialists can also make an examination with a similar objective of detecting the presence of oral cancer in your mouth.
Symptoms of oral cancer
The most common symptoms of mouth cancer includes:
- Drastic weight loss
- Lumps in your mouth or neck that don’t go away.
- Unexplained mouth bleeding.
- Ear pain
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
Risk factor for oral cancer screening
One of the biggest risk factors for oral cancer is tobacco and alcohol usage. This includes smoking pipes, cigars and cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Some of the other risk factors include genetic syndromes, poor nutrition, weak immune system, age, a previous oral cancer diagnosis and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
If there is an early detection of oral cancer, there is a possibility of treating it either with surgery or radiation therapy. The dentist can initially perform a surgical operation to get rid of potential cancerous growth. This is followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy to eliminate remaining cancerous cells.
Importance of oral cancer screening
Oral cancer can be a scary and dangerous disease that can have a negative influence on your health. Even though having an mouth cancer screening at a dentist’s office may not be pivotal, they are some important reasons to conduct oral cancer screening:
1, Early detection of oral cancer
Oral cancer treatment experts say that having early diagnosis of cancerous cells in the mouth increases the chances of curing the impairment and minimum deformity and impairment. As a result, a significant number of dental cancer cases are caught early by a qualified dentist. Through early detection, you have a high probability of getting a cure in comparison to waiting till later stages.
2, Oral cancer screening can protect your health
For oral cancer, dental screenings makes it easier detecting the disease at early stages of its development. This can result in saving your life. The sooner these signs are identified, the higher are the odds of having oral cancer treatment. Without having such screenings, it is impossible to understand the risk factors level with regards to mouth cancer.
3. Preventing potential oral cancer treatment
The best way to prevent oral cancer is through the means of routine screenings done during dental checkups. Having a dental cancer screening session can help to know if you suffer from oral cancer. This can provide a good opportunity for a dentist to highlight what can be done for prevention of mouth cancer, specifically for at-risk patients.
Who needs an oral cancer screening?
There are certain individuals that have a high risk of developing mouth cancers. Individuals with poor dental hygiene and above 40 years of age. Usually, anyone can reap benefits by conducting consistent mouth cancer screenings at the office of a dentist. By not having a scary mouth cancer disease helps you in the improvement of your health. However, individuals with an increase in the risk of dental cancer can consider regular examination sessions from oral cancer specialists. Such individuals include:
Heavy drinkers: Alcoholism can result in increasing the chances of getting mouth cancer.
Smokers: Cigarettes can result in destroying your lungs and also put you at a massive risk of oral cancer.
Previous history of cancer diagnosis: If you did suffer previously from cancer, specifically the mouth, chances of contracting it again are generally very high.
What to expect during oral cancer screening?
Your healthcare provider can use a combination of different methods for oral cancer screening. This includes visual exam, palpation, and oral screening lights. They can be described in detail as follows:
Visual exam
In visual examination, healthcare provider looks for lesions (areas of abnormal tissue) for throat and mouth. These abnormalities includes leukoplakia (thick white patches) and erythroplakia (abnormally red areas).
Palpation
The healthcare provider also uses their fingers to feel (palpate) for bumps or lumps across the neck, jaw and face. It is essential to let them know if there are sore or tender areas.
Oral cancer screening light
There are special screening lights that help to evaluate and identify abnormal tissues in the mouth. To use the tool, your healthcare provider can ask to rinse your mouth with a mouthwash. They will also shine a special light in the mouth. This makes healthy tissue looking dark and abnormal tissue white.
Conclusion
Early detection is beneficial for reducing risk of oral cancer. Having mouth cancer screening at least twice a year helps to evaluate and identify precancerous conditions when there is a chance to get a better treatment. Oral cancer at a dentist office starts with a clinical examination of the mouth and throat. The dentist uses a mirror, tongue depressor and light for checking abnormality such as bumps, swelling, ulcerations and color patches. The health professional also palpate your jaw, neck, chin and cheeks to feel unusual firm nodules or masses.
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