You should visit your dentist regularly to keep your mouth in check for any potential dental problems, especially oral cancer. During one of your visits, you can ask your dentist to do an easy Philips oral cancer screening to check for any signs and symptoms. Remember, when it comes to cancer, early detection is key for successful treatment.
What Should I Know About Oral Cancer Screenings?
Why Oral Cancer Screening is Important
Philips oral cancer screening is important because it helps identify mouth cancer. Early detection increases your chance of successful treatment. About 84% of oral cancer cases can be diagnosed early by a dentist or dental health professional.
During an oral cancer screening, your dentist will do a physical examination on your face, neck, jaw, and mouth for any lumps and other abnormalities. They will also check around your mouth for any discoloration or sores. If they detect or suspect any form of abnormality in your mouth, they will send a sample of it to a lab for testing.
Risk Factors for Oral Cancer
Some of the risk factors of oral cancer are:
- Age
- Tobacco use or Smoking
- HPV
- Heavy Alcohol Consumption
- Gender (Men are more prone to getting oral cancer)
- Unhealthy Diet
- Excessive Sun Exposure
These are just some of the risk factors of oral cancer. But there has been an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with oral cancer who have no risk factors at all. That’s why if you have a history of cancer in your family, it’s good to get peace of mind with a screening. It’s also still best to practice good oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly for normal oral exams.
Where Should I Get a Philips Oral Cancer Screening?
After undergoing Philips oral cancer screening, your dentist will send a sample of your abnormal tissue to a lab to determine if it’s cancer. If it is, then your dentist will start providing you treatment before your cancer progresses. At Northwoods Dentistry, we offer quality oral cancer screening services. Let’s overcome oral cancer together! Contact us to learn more.