When is it time to visit your dentist outside of routine cleanings? Sometimes taking care of your oral health requires more than only brushing and flossing your teeth. If you have noticed an abrupt change to the tissues of your mouth, it could be time to schedule a visit to receive an oral cancer screening. Permanent discolorations in the form of red or white patches, sores that will not heal on their own, or lumps within the tissue may all indicate the presence of disease, and this form of cancer can be particularly dangerous. This means that obtaining an early screening can increase your ability to recover successfully. Remember that symptoms can affect people of all ages and backgrounds, so do not hesitate to report them to your dentist on time. At your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office, we provide oral pathology examinations and can diagnose abnormalities in your mouth. If we suspect cancer, we can perform a biopsy and consider a variety of treatments that best fit your diagnosis if the disease is present.
Monitoring For Symptoms At Home
Inspecting the health of your mouth on a regular basis can lead to the timely discovery of oral cancer. In between your semiannual visits for dental cleanings, you should look carefully for common symptoms of disease in your mouth. Lumps or thickening of your surrounding tissues and pain that will not go away are signs. You might discover bleeding that will not stop on its own, and cancer can even cause your teeth to loosen. Difficulties swallowing or constant pain in your throat should also be reported to your dentist. Many of these symptoms could indicate a variety of different causes. This means that you need a skilled professional to perform a pathological review and diagnose the source of any oral abnormality.
Treatment Options For Oral Cancer
If we suspect the presence of disease, we will perform a biopsy of the affected tissue and send it to our lab for review by a technician. When no disease is present, we will continue to monitor the health of your mouth at following visits for any subsequent changes. If the biopsy returns as positive, we will discuss your options for oral cancer treatment that best fit the scope of your diagnosis and lifestyle. Cancer can be detected at various stages of growth and thus we will customize your treatment to your individual circumstances.
Talk To Your Cerritos, CA Dentist About Screening For Oral Cancer
Please report any recent changes to the appearance and health of your oral tissues to your dentist! Screening for cancer can improve the odds of successful recovery by detecting it in its early stages. If you are in need of a screening, 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!
