{"id":597,"date":"2024-04-16T03:22:15","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T03:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.paintedskiesdental.com\/blog\/?p=597"},"modified":"2024-05-24T03:22:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T03:22:33","slug":"what-your-dentist-does-for-oral-cancer-screenings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paintedskiesdental.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/16\/what-your-dentist-does-for-oral-cancer-screenings\/","title":{"rendered":"What Your Dentist Will Do at Your Oral Cancer Screening"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the most serious conditions that your dentist will regularly examine you for is oral cancer. This condition can be life threatening, and the fact that it can be easily mistaken for milder oral health problems means that patients often aren\u2019t aware that they\u2019re dealing with the issue until a dentist tells them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, an oral cancer exam is a routine part of every checkup<\/a>. If you want to know more about what that process entails, here\u2019s a little more about these exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Does an Oral Cancer Screening Consist Of?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It might come as a little bit of a surprise to you that your dentist even conducts an oral cancer screening; that\u2019s because the entire process is incredibly easy and takes only moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, your dentist looks inside your mouth for any irregularities, like sores or bumps in the mouth. Some dentists will make use of specialized lights or dyes in order to make this easier, but this isn\u2019t universal. They\u2019ll also briefly feel around for anything that they won\u2019t be able to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once this is done, they\u2019ll ask you to crane your head so that they can look at your neck. They\u2019ll check for any swollen lymph nodes, which are a common indicator for oral cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, this is where the exam ends. In the event that your dentist finds anything out of the ordinary, they may collect a sample of the abnormality for the purposes of a biopsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Some Signs of Oral Cancer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you feel like there\u2019s something wrong with your mouth that could indicate oral cancer, you should talk to your dentist about it. This is especially true if the issue doesn\u2019t resolve itself after a few weeks. Here are a few signs that you ought to watch out for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n