Ensure Your Health with Airdrie Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer screening at Yankee Valley Dental is part of every new patient and recall exam. This is done at no charge to you, because we feel that it is our obligation as dental professionals to make sure that every aspect of your mouth is healthy.
While oral cancer has been linked to alcohol and tobacco use, other factors such as genetics, diet and sun exposure can increase your risk of attaining it. HPV (Human Papillovirus) has also been linked to oral cancer.
Oral screening is simple and can be done at chair side.
If you’re interested, Dr. Parsa can also show you how to do simple screenings at home. If Dr. Parsa sees any areas in the mouth that are suspicious, she may ask you to see an Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon to get a biopsy to eliminate the possibility of cancerous or precancerous lesion.
What Might a Suspicious Lesion Look Like?
Oral cancer may vary in size and shape. However, suspicious lesions can either be red, white or a combination of both. Most suspicious lesions are those that don’t rub off with gauze and those that grow over time. One way Dr. Parsa may choose to monitor these lesions is to take a picture with a high resolution intra-oral camera. She will use a dental instrument called the periodontal probe, an instrument with measurements on it, to measure the exact size of the lesion. This measurement can be used in the future to compare and check for any changes.
At Yankee Valley Dental in Airdrie, Dr. Parsa wants to ensure that you are doing everything to keep your mouth and body healthy. Book a regular check-up today!
What You Need to Know
There is usually no pain associated with oral cancer in the early stages, that’s why regular check-ups are so important. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should make an appointment immediately: Swelling in the mouth or neck, Difficulty swallowing, Sudden weight loss,Chronic bad breath
While any area of the mouth can be affected by oral cancer, the most commonly affected areas are the tongue and the floor of the mouth. Cancerous lesion can also form on the cheek, gums, palate (root of the mouth) and lips.
Decreasing alcohol and tobacco use, getting the HPV vaccine and putting on sunscreen are some of the ways you can decrease your risk. In the past, many over-the-counter mouth rinses contained alcohol (this was linked to oral cancer), but most mouth rinses now are alcohol-free. However, check to ensure that the product that you are using is alcohol-free.
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