Oral cancer screening in Hamilton, ON, is one of the rarest dental procedures. Most people don’t even want to think about the risk of cancer, which is why they rarely subject themselves to this process. According to our dental clinic, this is a procedure that everyone should do once a year.
Like with any other cancer, detecting this problem early on increases the odds of recovery. Our dentists suggest that you do a screening every three years if you’re from 20 to 40 years old and every year if you’re above 40.
What are the prime causes of oral cancer?
Despite what you might think, oral cancer is much more common than most people realize. Besides performing regular screening, you should learn more about the risk factors leading to this condition:
- Age
- Immune system
- HPV
- Sunburn
- Tobacco and alcohol
Each one of these can pose an issue, but they’re especially troublesome when you have several factors.
What are the early signs of oral cancer?
There is a good reason why you should visit our family dentists near you and perform regular cancer checkups. Even if you don’t feel any symptoms or issues that might indicate oral cancer, there is still a chance you’re suffering from this problem.
Sometimes, the signs are very discreet, and they can only be noticed by seasoned experts, such as our dentists. Here are some of the most common signs of this disease:
- Stiffness in the jaw or pain
- Changes to the voice
- Constantly sore throat or feeling that there is something stuck in your throat
- Trouble chewing, eating, or drinking
- Strange bumps that might appear in several places on your face and throat
- Sores or lesions that simply won’t go away
What does screening look like?
King West Smiles Dentistry performs screening in a few steps. First, our dentist will check your cheeks, throat, palate, lips, and the area below your tongue. After an oral exam, the expert will touch anything that seems suspicious.
If there is something odd, the dentist might perform additional tests that will help determine if these are cancer cells. In some cases, a patient might have to come back after a few weeks, so the expert can see if these lumps have changed.
