Oral Cancer Screening in Scottsdale, AZ
Oral cancer tends to develop on the tongue, lips or floor of the mouth, and from there it spreads to the rest of the body. Oral cancer is commonly detected by a dentist or hygienist during a routine exam, but it is still best to schedule an oral cancer screening before symptoms arise.
Oral Cancer Detection
At Mercado Dental Care, we encourage our patients to have regular oral cancer screenings in Scottsdale. Since most people do not seek help until the disease has advanced, the mortality rate remains high. As with all types of cancer, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial.
Schedule an Oral Cancer Screening in Scottsdale
At Mercado Dental Care, our Scottsdale dentist and hygienist look for signs of abnormal tissue in the mouth. We can usually see symptoms such as hard lumps, red and white bumps, changes in tooth positions, and rough patches. An oral cancer screening in Scottsdale is mainly a visual exam. Dr. Garcia will feel around inside your mouth and cheeks for strange masses or hard tissue. Since this disease can show up in any area of the oral cavity, a thorough examination is needed.
We recommend that you visit our Scottsdale, AZ dentist office for your first exam. Based on your risk factors and what we see, we will let you know how frequently you need to be examined. If you are a high-risk patient, we may suggest being screened annually.
FAQs
Early detection of oral cancer is crucial for successful treatment, and your dentist is uniquely positioned to identify possible problems during routine checkups. While oral cancer can sometimes be difficult to detect, there are certain signs that your dentist will look for, such as irregularities in the tissue lining the mouth, unusual bumps or lumps, ulcerations that don't heal properly, and changes in coloration. If any of these are found, your dentist may recommend further testing, such as a biopsy.
If the dentist near you at 85258 finds an unusual sore or lesion in your mouth, he or she suggests you get oral cancer screening to find out if it's oral cancer or not. Oral cancer screening helps the dentist find all kinds of oral cancers early. For any emergency, get in touch with our skilled emergency dentist in Scottsdale AZ.
Oral cancer screening aims to detect mouth cancer symptoms or precancerous lesions that may lead to mouth cancer early. When seen in the earliest stages, removal of cancer or lesions are easy and deliver successful outcomes.
During the screening, the dentist looks over your mouth’s insides, asking you to remove any dentures or partials you are wearing, and checks for red or white patches or mouth sores. The dentist uses gloved hands to feel the tissues in your mouth, checking for lumps or abnormalities. The dentist also examines your neck and throat for lumps.
Oral cancer screenings shouldn’t scare you because they are merely a preventive measure to detect signs of cancer early. The tests in no way indicate that you are affected by or are prone to oral cancer. The screenings are performed during routine dental exams and don’t require you to schedule additional dental visits.