How Important Is Receiving An Oral Cancer Screening?

We all are quite vigilant when it comes to maintaining our fitness and consuming a healthy diet, and regularly exercising. But are we vigilant about our oral health as well? Most of us would start the guesswork. Well, it is quite true. We tend to neglect our oral health. But if we keep our oral hygiene up to the mark, then we can prevent a lot of fatal diseases and keep ourselves protected. With regular dental checkups, we can ensure that our oral health is perfectly fine. If you fail to keep your oral hygiene up to the mark, you can suffer from various dental and other health issues. One of the common and deadly illnesses is oral cancer.

What are the signs that indicate oral cancer? If you are suffering from oral cancer, how will you know? Is it important to get an oral cancer screening?

Your mind would be filled with all these questions when you come across the term oral cancer. If you are not aware of it, do not worry. This blog will help you understand the symptoms of oral cancer and it is important to get the oral cancer screening done. 

What Are The Signs That Indicate Oral Cancer?

When you consult a dentist, he would be on the lookout for the signs of oral cancer. These signs include:

  1. The appearance of the red or white patches in your mouth

      2. There are certain spots in the mouth that continue to bleed and do not heal with medication or any treatment. 

      3. The dentist observes a lump or tough/hard area in the mouth.

      4. You feel extreme pain or numbness while you are chewing the food or just taking a bite.

Besides these signs, the dentist will ask you to undergo oral cancer screening. 

What do we mean by oral cancer screening?

Oral cancer screenings refer to the dental examination or tests that help in the early detection of the symptoms or signs of oral cancer. These oral cancer screening tests are designed in order to monitor the progress of oral cancer and provide treatment to control it in the initial stage itself. 

Why Are Oral Cancer Screening Tests Important? 

Generally, cancer is a disease that keeps spreading through your body, and you are not aware of it in the early stage. When you try to analyze the condition or the symptoms, it is already too late to cure it. So with the help of oral cancer screening, the dentists will examine the actual condition of the mouth and acknowledge whether there are any signs of developing oral cancer or not. 

According to a survey, it has been revealed that oral cancer screening is 80 to 90% successful in identifying the signs of early oral cancer. It is considered the modern way to detect the presence of cancer cells in the mouth. It also helps to take measures to prevent the spread of cancerous cells.  

If any sort of abnormality is found in the mouth, such as discoloration or continuous bleeding, a sample is taken and sent out to the lab for further analysis. 

During the oral cancer screening, the parts of the mouth that are monitored include the 

1. The exterior and interior of the lips. 

2. In and around your gums or teeth. 

3. Above and beneath the tongue and from all the sides. 

4. Checking the interior of the cheeks. 

5. The upper area or roof of the mouth. 

6. The back of your throat.

In case, you are wearing dentures, then the dentist would check the area under the dentures and analyze the condition of the tissues of the gums. 

So whenever you feel that you observe the symptoms of oral cancer or any sign that might indicate the presence of the cancerous cells, get an appointment for an oral cancer screening with your dentist. The test will help you to know whether you are having oral cancer or not. If not, the dentists will conduct a few more tests and prescribe a dental treatment process for you. If the results are positive, it is still helpful. You can get immediate treatment in the early stage itself so that cancer does not spread further and can be cured. 

Summary: 

While opting for oral cancer screening tests, you must ensure that you are consulting a highly qualified and experienced dentist. This is important because they will conduct a physical examination along with the oral cancer screening and also help you in understanding the results of the tests. 

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