Thankfully, oral cancer is relatively rare, but the risk of developing this disease increases with age, especially if you have certain lifestyle factors like smoking. Like so many forms of cancer, the prognosis is far better when the disease is detected early, which is why here at Margolian Dentistry, we offer our patients oral cancer screenings in Oshawa.
What Is Oral Cancer?
When cancer develops, it’s because cells are growing uncontrollably, damaging and invading nearby tissues. Oral cancer can affect the tongue, cheeks, lips, the floor of the mouth and your soft and hard palate, and the sinuses and throat. It can develop as a growth or a sore spot that fails to heal or disappear.
What Are the Signs of Oral Cancer?
The most common signs of oral cancer include unexplained lumps and bumps or thickened areas inside the mouth or swellings. The part of the mouth affected can change colour, as the cancer can cause white or red and white patches to develop. Other signs include pain or tenderness, or unexplained numbness. It can feel like something is stuck in the throat, or you may have a sore throat and difficulty chewing and swallowing properly. Oral cancer can affect the voice, so it changes. It can also cause ear pain. If you wear dental appliances like dentures, you might notice they fit slightly differently. You also may notice changes in the way your teeth bite together.
Who Is More Likely to Get Oral Cancer?
Anybody can get oral cancer, and around a quarter of cases are diagnosed in people with no known risk factors. However, the risk of developing this disease increases after age 50, and men are more likely to get oral cancer than women. In addition to smoking, other risk factors include consuming alcohol to excess and being exposed to too much sun, especially while you are young. Another risk factor is having certain strains of the human papillomavirus.
How Oral Cancer Screenings Can Help
When you visit our dental practice regularly, we can perform oral cancer screenings as a preventive measure. An oral cancer screening in Ajax allows our dentist to closely examine the inside of your mouth to check for any signs that require closer examination or further investigation. For example, we look for any colour changes or changes to your bite and unexplained lumps, bumps, or rough spots. We also check for any sore spots, so if you do notice you have a sore in your mouth that is failing to heal properly, it’s always worth getting in touch with us so we can examine it more closely.
As part of this oral cancer screening, we use a small handheld device called a VELscope. It works by emitting blue light, so your oral tissues fluoresce. Healthy oral tissues fluoresce slightly differently from those where cells may have changed, or other conditions, such as fungal infections or bacterial infections, may be present. Using oral cancer screening technology in Whitby allows us to detect any changes at an earlier stage, so we can provide appropriate care if needed.
What Happens If There Are Signs of Tissue Changes?
If you have any suspicious areas, you may need a biopsy, where a small sample of the cells is taken for closer analysis. Then, if needed, other specialists can determine the best course of action.
Is It Possible to Prevent Oral Cancer?
Living a healthier lifestyle and refraining from smoking or using alcohol to excess can be helpful, as can making sure you use good quality sunblock to limit sun exposure. It’s also important to have regular dental checkups as our dentists are specially trained to notice any changes inside your mouth.