Oral Cancer Screenings in Houston, TX
No one wants to talk about the word cancer, but whether you are aware of it or not, oral cancer is a real concern for many Americans. Knowing when and where to get checked for oral cancer is very important. Some people even have risk factors that may make them more likely to develop oral cancer than others. Even if you don’t think you have any risk factors, it is still a good idea to get routine screenings so that you catch any issues before they become too difficult to handle.
Quest Dentistry in Houston, TX is your place to get oral cancer screenings to ensure you stay healthy for the long term. Our dentists are fully trained to recognize the signs of oral cancer. We have treatments available if you catch it early enough so that you don’t have to deal with serious cancer treatments and potentially widespread damage. We are the dentists near you that you need to handle your oral cancer.
How Does an Oral Cancer Screening Work?
When you go in for an oral cancer screening in Houston, TX, it functions as a more specialized dental examination, except instead of looking for plaque and tartar, your dentist is looking for signs of cancer.
The first part of a cancer screening is done by hand with the dentist checking the gums, tongue cheeks, and different soft tissue areas inside the mouth for signs of lesions, cancerous growths, and other malformations. Oral cancer is sometimes detectable just from a physical exam, but often it requires a more detailed examination. The dentist may have you rinse with a special type of dye that illuminates spots of cancerous tissue under a specialized light. This makes the process much easier and allows the dentist to detect things they would have missed.
If the dentist detects cancerous tissue, a biopsy is sent to a lab for further analysis, and a follow-up is scheduled. Otherwise, the patient continues as scheduled.