How Does My Dentist Know if I Have Oral Cancer?
Your dentist will look for signs of oral cancer during a regular exam.1 Oral cancer often starts as small sores or tiny white or red spots. A dentist is skilled at identifying these and other signs of cancer.1
The Screening
The first step in detecting oral cancer is a painless exam. Your dentist can complete a screening in just a few minutes.2 Dentists will carefully inspect the following areas for sores, spots, and lumps:2
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Your face, neck, lips, and mouth
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Your jaw and the side of your neck
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Your tongue
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The roof and floor of your mouth
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The back of your throat
Testing for Cancer
Some sores and spots around the mouth are harmless; others are not.1 When dentists cannot tell what caused a spot or sore, they may perform a brush test. During a brush test, cells from the suspicious areas are removed with a brush and analyzed.1
If precancerous cells are found, the lesion can be surgically removed.1 When found early, oral cancer can be more easily treated.1
1 “Oral Cancer.” American Dental Association. www.ada.org/public/topics/cancer_oral.asp Accessed 2008.
2 “The Oral Cancer Exam.” National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, September 2005. www.nidcr.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/0F236B30-9711-4DD5-9577-E338FC78BDF4/0/OralCancerExam.pdf Accessed 2008.
Online Medical Reviewer:
Carr, Ellen RN, MSN, AOCN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Wirth, Lori MD
Date Last Reviewed:
10/11/2008
Date Last Modified:
10/11/2008