Oral Cancer Screenings

According to the American Dental Association, 41,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and throat cancers this year. With 60% of the U.S. population visiting the dentist each year, your Hickory dental office is the first line of defense for early detection.

Oral or mouth cancer reveals itself as a growth or sore in the mouth or throat that doesn’t go away with time. Oral cancer symptoms include:

• Fluoride treatments
• Restorations, including fillings, inlays, onlays, and crowns/tooth caps
• Root canals
• In the most extreme cases, extraction

Our oral cancer screenings consist of a verbal, visual, and physical examination, and they include the following:

• A thorough review of your oral health history, as well as your overall health history, which includes questions that help assess your level of risk for mouth cancer
• A visual inspection of all the areas of your mouth and throat in an effort to locate any abnormalities, such as sores and red or white patches; this inspection includes the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, floor of the mouth, roof of the mouth, and far-back section of your tongue
• A check for suspicious lumps by palpating your mouth, jaw, and neck

Though most sores (one of the primary signs of oral cancer) are noncancerous, the screening alone can’t determine this. If an abnormality is found, Drs. Bouali, Johal, and Dunning may perform a biopsy (remove some cells for testing) or refer you to a mouth cancer doctor.

Q: How often should I be screened for oral cancer?
A: You should be screened at every routine dental visit.

Q: If I am found to have mouth cancer, what do I do?
A: If you are diagnosed with cancer, Drs. Ganglani, Johal, and Dunning will refer you to a doctor so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible.

Q: How do you treat oral cancer?
A: If you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be sent to a doctor who works in treating oral cancer. Treatment typically consists of removal of the cancerous growth followed by radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

Maintaining your routine dental visits with us ensures your smile continues to sparkle, but it also vastly improves the chance that abnormalities in your mouth will be caught early, which increases your chances of successful treatment should any be cancerous.

Call (828) 270-3007 today to learn more about how Fresh Dental can protect your oral health, and to schedule an appointment with your Hickory dentists!

• (828) 405 1501
• Book Now
• No Insurance?

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Dental Services Offered at Hickory NC FRESHDental

• Cosmetic Dentistry
• Dental Crowns
• Dental Implants
• Dentures
• Digital X-rays
• Emergency Dental Services
• Family Dentist
• Fixed and Removeable Bridges
• Fluoride Treatment
• General Dentistry
• Gum Disease Treatment
• Hygiene Services
• Inlays and Onlays
• Invisalign
• Oral Cancer Screenings
• Orthodontics
• Porcelain Veneers
• Professional Teeth Cleanings
• Root Canals
• Sealants
• Smile Design Treatment
• Teeth Whitening
• Tooth Decay Prevention
• Tooth Extractions
• Tooth Fillings
• Wisdom Teeth Removal

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