Oral Cancer Screenings Houston, Tx

Oral cancer screenings are an important part of your dental appointment, but many patients do not know much about them or whether or not their dentist is performing them. At Dr. Vesna Arezina’s office in Houston, we perform oral cancer screenings to keep you healthy and catch any symptoms before the disease can worsen.

Risk Factors

While the exact cause of oral cancer is unknown, it has been shown that certain factors and behaviors influence the chance of developing the disease. If you have any risk factors associated with oral cancer, speak with your dentist. Risk factors include the use of tobacco products, frequent consumption of alcohol, spending a lot of time in direct sunlight, being diagnosed with oral cancer in the past, and more.

What Do Dentists Check During Screenings?

One of the questions asked in our office is what we check during oral cancer screenings. While the screening is very important, it is simple to carry out and does not require any preparation on your side. We will look for discoloration and other signs of oral cancer on the face and around the neck, assessing these areas closely in the hopes of spotting any indicators as early as possible so that treatment is more effective.

Tongue
Gums
The roof of the mouth
Lips
Teeth
Under the chin
Back of the throat

We will check the facial and mouth tissues to make sure that everything is normal. They will look for lumps and other abnormal signs, which should take about 10 minutes.

Many patients are simply not aware of their risk of oral cancer, but now that you have more information you can schedule an appointment and speak with your dentist about the risks associated with oral cancer and what you can do to keep the disease at bay. Any questions that you have can be answered by a dental professional in our office, so feel free to come in and speak with an expert about your oral and overall health along with oral cancer screenings and their importance.