Who Should Get An Oral Cancer Screening?
In our Lakewood dental clinic, everyone does.
Oral cancer usually occurs in people over the age of 45 but can develop at any age. We are seeing oral cancer much younger now, and many oral cancers can be in people who don’t even have a history of drinking and smoking! We are seeing it very commonly affiliated with the human papillomavirus, or HPV. HPV can cause six types of cancers and affects 79 million people in the United States…many don’t even know they have it! This is why we screen for oral cancer.
We want to help you and the ones you love smile confidently, breathe clearer, and live a healthier life.
When it comes to oral cancer screenings, our goal is to detect oral cancer early so that you or your loved one has a better prognosis.
What Happens During an Oral Cancer Screening In Lakewood?
Here are the oral cancer symptoms we look for during your oral cancer screening.
There are multiple levels of an oral cancer screening. At Fox Point Dental, we give a basic exam that includes a thorough look at all parts of your mouth like: your mouth, gums, tongue, inside of your cheeks, the roof of your mouth, and the back of your throat. During your exam, we will check the following:
Your face, neck, lips, and mouth to look for signs of cancer
The area under your jaw and the side of your neck, checking for lumps that may suggest cancer
The insides of your lips and cheeks to check for possible signs of cancer, such as red and/or white patches
All sides of your tongue
For lumps or sensitivity by putting one finger on the floor of your mouth with the other hand under your chin and gently press down
Am I At Risk for Oral Cancer?
145 new individuals are diagnosed with oral cancer each day.
According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, “mouth cancers will be newly diagnosed in about 145 new individuals each day in the US alone, and a person dies from oral cancer every hour of every day. If you add the head and neck subcategory of laryngeal throat cancers, the rates of occurrence (about 12,000 additional new cases per year) and death are significantly higher. When found at early stages of development, oral cancers can have an 80 to 90% survival rate.”
Some individuals are at a greater risk of developing oral cancer than others, such as those who:
Keep up to date with your routine dental exams, as dentists are often at the front lines of noticing changes to your mouth, tongue, and overall oral health.
Symptoms of Oral Cancer
Find a Lakewood dentist who always looks for symptoms of oral cancer.
Dentists are trained to notice uncommon and unusual symptoms in patients. For some, oral cancer reveals itself through white, red, or spotty patches in the mouth. For others, a lump will form somewhere on the tongue, neck, mouth, or gums.
Some patients experience numbness in the face or mouth, persistent pain and bleeding in and around the mouth, ear aches, or difficulty swallowing or speaking.
About Fox Point Dental In Lakewood, CO
We’re here to look at the whole you, not just your teeth.
At Fox Point Dental in Lakewood, Colorado, we focus on whole health, functional dentistry. As a functional dentist clinic, we look at the whole you to see the big picture. When you step into our office with a dental problem, we look for the cause of the issue.
Brushing, flossing, using mouthwash, and visiting the dentist for dental cleanings are important. But while these help with dental hygiene (please don’t stop doing them), they don’t fix the source of the problem. Oftentimes, tooth decay, crooked teeth, bad breath and other common dental issues are a result of airway obstructions, overcrowded mouths, and narrow dental arches from things such as mouth breathing and sleep-disordered breathing.
By determining the source of the dental problems, we can fix the issues before they get worse. As a functional dentistry practice, it is our goal to not only save you money from preventing future dental procedures but also directly improve the quality of your life.
As a functional dentistry clinic, our goal is to help you and the ones you love smile confidently, breathe clearer, and live a healthier life. Whether you’re coming in for a preventative dental cleaning or another dental procedure, from infancy to advanced age, we’re looking out for you.