Are you taking every step to protect the health of your mouth? Maintaining robust oral hygiene does more than protect your teeth against cavities. By attending regular cleanings and examinations with your dentist, they are able to check your mouth for the signs of oral cancer. Because this form of disease can produce little to no pain, routine checkups provide the opportunity for identification of problems that would otherwise go unnoticed. Early detection can greatly influence the success of treatment, so do not skip your exams.
To further protect yourself against cancer, you can also monitor yourself for symptoms at home. If you notice sudden changes to the tissues of your mouth, you can schedule a screening outside of your standard checkups. At your Cerritos, CA dentist’s practice, we can diagnose the symptoms of cancer with oral pathology examinations. If we detect cancer, we will guide you through treatment options that fit your diagnosis.
Detecting Oral Cancer At Home
Knowing the signs of oral cancer can help you best detect its presence early and lead towards prompt treatment. While your dentist will examine your mouth at each cleaning appointment, you can check your mouth in between visits when brushing your teeth. Cancer can appear as white or red patches on your mouth, tongue or throat. You may notice pain when biting or chewing your food. Ulcers or mouth sores that will not heal after a few days may indicate its presence. Any consistent bleeding or loosening teeth should be reported to your dentist right away. Because these symptoms can have different potential causes, you should have your dentist perform an examination to diagnose the source of your oral issue. The highest survival rates are associated with early treatment, so mention any abnormalities no matter how small they may appear.
Providing Treatment For Oral Cancer
If we suspect the presence of disease during your oral pathology review, we can perform a biopsy to make our determination. A small sample of your tissue will be sent to our lab where a technician will determine if cancer is present in your body. When no disease is detected, we will continue to monitor your mouth for changes to your symptoms. If we do detect cancer during the biopsy, we will discuss your oral cancer treatment options. Because cancer appears in a variety of ways and sizes, we will customize your treatment plan to fit your specific case.
Speak With Your Cerritos, CA Dentist About Detecting Oral Cancer
By reporting changes to your oral tissues to your dentist, you can determine if any disease is present. Screening for cancer can improve the odds of successful recovery when detected in its early stages. If you are in need of an examination, or have any other questions about your oral health that we can address, please call your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office at (562)-584-4082!
