Oral Cancer Screenings in Ocoee, FL

Even though dentists are experts in taking care of teeth, they can also spot signs of chronic or serious medical conditions while treating you. During your biannual routine examinations, our dentists at Smiles of Ocoee in Ocoee, FL will carefully examine inside your mouth and conduct oral cancer screenings.

Why Do Dentists Screen for Cancer?

Our dentists screen for cancer because most of its first signs show up in the soft tissues of the mouth. Since dentists are experts on the neck and head, they can also spot signs of the disease like lumps or hard areas on the neck.

To successfully treat this form of cancer, it’s vital to find it as early as possible. As it advances, the chances of a patient’s survival decrease. Along with keeping your teeth healthy, routine examinations can find diseases early enough to survive them.

How are Oral Cancer Screenings Conducted?

While our dentists at Smiles of Ocoee examine your mouth, they visually check for symptoms of the disease. Some of the symptoms include:

• Red or white patches in the mouth
• A sore on lips or mouth that isn’t healing
• Bad breath
• Ear pain
• Loose teeth

Our dentists near you in Ocoee, FL will also use a gloved finger to feel under the tongue, on the lips, and cheeks for lumps. They will run fingers down your neck as well, looking for hard areas. The back of the tongue is another area that sores can grow that may indicate oral, or even throat, cancer.

Risk Factors for Oral Cancer

Although both men and women can get oral cancer, men have a higher risk factor because many men chew tobacco. It’s important to note that any type of tobacco use puts you at risk for this type of cancer. Also, men tend to drink more alcohol than women, which is another key factor in the disease.

Other risk factors include:

• Repeated exposure to the sun on your lips.
• Having the human papillomavirus (HPV)
• A weakened immune system

If you have sores in your mouth that are not healing or any of the other symptoms, contact one of our dentists at Smiles of Ocoee in Ocoee, FL for an oral cancer screening.