Oral Cancer Screenings in Houston, TX
A+ Family Dental places much attention on preventive care. Oral cancer screenings in Houston, TX, are a preventive process aiming to detect the disease so that early treatment can commence. A key reason why people are dying from oral cancer is that they don’t seek medical help early on until the disease has grown to serious levels.
Screening for cancer is among the things we do when you come in for regular checks. You can even request screening if you have yet to do it later. Our dentists in Houston, TX, do the process in just minutes unless further steps for screening are needed.
Why Oral Cancer Screening Is Crucial
Oral cancer claims at least one life each day in the US, and just like other cancers, early detection is critical for increasing the possibility of getting cured. The Oral Cancer Foundation notes that the chances of surviving oral cancer are 80 to 90 percent when spotted early and treatment commenced immediately.
What Our Dentists Look for In the Screening
Oral cancer screening allows our dentists near you to check for abnormally looking tissue, lumps in tissue, changes in color, and lesions or sores. Many patients have unusual changes within the mouth, bone, gums, and tongue that seemingly look like those of cancer, but other diseases cause them. Our dentists are knowledgeable in spotting cancer-related changes.
The Screening Process
We begin by visually looking for visible symptoms, including red or white patches and changes in teeth position. Much of the oral cancer screenings near you are visually done.
Apart from the visual inspection, we also feel the tissues. We feel or palpate the cheeks and areas inside the mouth, looking for weird bumps or hard lumps. We may have X-rays and other imaging scans done for further review. Additionally, a tissue biopsy may be done to confirm the presence of cancerous cells within the mouth tissue.
Visit us at A+ Family Dental for your first mouth cancer screening. You may have to come in frequently for exams based on the risk factors we identify.
