Oral Cancer Screenings – Parker North, CO
Expert Detection to Keep You Healthy
Dr. Rodney L. Allen knows that his job of taking care of your oral health doesn’t stop with your teeth. During your regular dental checkups, Dr. Allen also provides thorough screenings to detect oral cancer while it’s still small. Oral cancer patients have a high recovery rate if it’s detected early on, which is why we offer oral cancer screenings in Parker, CO at our dental office. Dentists alone catch 84% of oral cancer in its earlier stages, making this quick and easy part of your checkup potentially lifesaving. Keep reading to learn what to expect during an oral cancer screening in Parker and why it’s important.
Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cancer
Part of the reason why oral cancer screenings are vital is that the symptoms are hard to notice on your own. However, you should contact our dental office right away if you see any of these warning signs:
- Lesions in your mouth that are white or red
- Bumps or lumps on or beneath the surface of soft tissue
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing or chewing
- Sores on or around your mouth that won’t heal
- Numb spots in your mouth
- Pain in your ears
- Persistent sore throat
What Does My Dentist Look for During a Screening?
During your oral cancer screening, Dr. Allen will check your mouth, head, and neck for any abnormalities that could tip off oral cancer. We never want to find cancer, however, if there is a symptom, we may recommend a biopsy for further investigation. The key is to detect any warning signs while they are still small to give you an incredibly high chance of a full recovery. Dr. Allen is experienced in providing expert detection for his patients, allowing them confidence and peace of mind after their screening.
What Should I Expect During My Screenings?
Your oral cancer screening will consist of two, noninvasive parts: a visual exam and a physical exam. During the visual examination, Dr. Allen will look at your lips, mouth, tongue, throat, jaw, neck, cheeks, and head to see if there are any irregularities that may require a closer look.
After that, he will provide a physical exam that checks for any lumps or bumps around your mouth. He will pay special attention to your lymph nodes around the jaw as they are a common spot for oral cancer to show up. This screening only takes a few minutes and it occurs once a year during your routine checkup and cleaning.