Oral cancer screening
A few minutes to check your mouth.
Oral cancer screening is an examination of the mouth, tongue and neck for early warning signs of cancer and of the changes that can come before it. It takes a few minutes and involves only looking and feeling. Ask for it at your visit to Dental Artistry, Hatigaon Chariali.
Who should have a screening
Anyone can ask for one. It matters most if you:
- Use tobacco in any formCigarettes, bidi, gutkha, khaini, zarda or other chewing tobacco.
- Chew areca nutTamul-paan, supari or paan masala, with or without tobacco, especially every day or for many years.
- Drink alcohol regularlyThe risk is higher again when alcohol and tobacco are used together.
- Have a change in your mouth that will not go awayAny of the signs below, for more than two weeks.
Signs to have checked
Most of these turn out to be something harmless, but each should be seen by a dentist if it lasts more than two weeks:
- An ulcer or sore that does not healOn the tongue, cheek, gums, lips or the floor of the mouth.
- A white or red patchA patch that cannot be wiped away, on the inside of the cheek, the tongue or the gums.
- A lump or thickeningIn the mouth, on the lip, or in the neck.
- Difficulty opening the mouthStiff, pale bands inside the cheeks, or a burning feeling with spicy food, which can follow years of chewing areca nut.
- Other changesBleeding or numbness in the mouth, a tooth that loosens for no clear reason, pain when swallowing, or a hoarse voice that does not settle.
What the screening involves
A few questions
About tobacco, areca nut and alcohol, how long you have used them, and any symptoms you have noticed.
Looking
The lips, cheeks, gums, tongue (including its sides and underneath), the floor and roof of the mouth, and the throat are checked under a good light.
Feeling
The dentist feels the tissues inside the mouth and the glands in the neck for lumps.
What happens next
If everything looks healthy, you are told so. If something needs a closer look, it is recorded and reviewed after a short time, or you are referred for a biopsy and specialist care.
What a screening can and cannot tell you
A screening finds changes that need attention. It cannot say for certain whether a patch or ulcer is cancer: only a biopsy, where a small piece of tissue is examined in a laboratory, can do that.
Stopping tobacco and areca nut lowers the risk over time, and some early changes improve once the habit stops. If you want help to stop, ask at your visit.
The consultation at Dental Artistry is ₹500. Mention that you would like an oral cancer check when you book.
Questions, answered
Questions, answered.
Still have a question?
Ask the clinic directly. No question is too small.
What is oral cancer screening?
Who should get an oral cancer screening?
Does a screening hurt?
Does a white patch in the mouth mean cancer?
How often should I be checked?
Who does the screening at Dental Artistry?
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