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Oral Cancer Screening in Sparks, NV
One of the most important things you can do for your health and longevity is to get an oral cancer screening in Sparks, NV.Oral cancer is one of the most serious and overlooked health risks, affecting the mouth, throat, and neck, and it should be treated with the utmost importance.
Getting a screening can save your life and it’s remarkably easy. Each year thousands of people are diagnosed with some kind of oral cancer that could have been spotted earlier with a simple oral cancer screening at your dentist.
Screenings are simple, completely painless, and very effective. Remember, with almost all dental issues, including oral cancer, the earlier you spot the problem, the easier it is to treat. This guide will help you understand who should get screened, why you should get screened, how you can get screened, and when.
For the safety of your health, the longevity of your life, and being around for your family, think Absolute Dental, and get an oral cancer screening today.
Call (844) 8-SMILE-NOW or fill out the form to make an appointment today!
Oral cancer is a group of cancers that develop in the mouth, throat, neck, and esophagus. It can include the cancer of the lips, gums, tongue, tonsils, and the roof and floor of the mouth. If it involves the throat, it’s often calledoropharyngeal cancer.
Oral cancers can have many causes, but among the most serious are alcohol andtobacco use, as well as HPV infections. In fact, human papillomavirus is theleading cause of oropharyngeal cancer, and is often spread through sexual context.
Oral cancers can be particularly deadly because they often develop without any symptoms. Many of these cancers, despite their seriousness, have no pain. By the time symptoms do appear, the cancer has already spread elsewhere in the body, making it much more difficult to treat.
Screening is critical because outcomes for oral cancer are basically always better when caught early. Treatments are also much less invasive and less difficult on the body when caught early. Screening can help detect cancer before it becomes a larger problem.
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Understanding Oral Cancer Screening Methods
There are many screening methods that can be used to detect oral cancer. Depending on your history and risk factors, your dentist may use a variety of methods to look for cancer in and around your mouth.
Fortunately, most of the screening methods can be performed right at your twice-yearly cleaning and checkup. Most often, you won’t even need to make a special appointment.
Visual Examination and Palpation
A visual examination and palpation (palpation is a fancy medical work for touch-screening) is the most common screening method. During the exam, your dentist will inspect your lips, gums, throat, and more, to look for patches that resemble cancer.
They will also palpate (or feel) areas in your mouth, neck, and surrounding areas for any lumps, swelling, or anything else out of the ordinary. They will take special care to feel and look at the sides of your tongue and the bottom of your mouth, where cancer often develops.
Oral Cancer Screening Dye and Light Technologies
Advanced screening aids may help detect cancer as well, including light and dye technology. Special screening dyes can be used to highlight abnormal tissue, and fluorescent light technology can cause specific areas of the mouth to appear different under the light, if cancer is present.
It’s important to note these technologies don’t diagnose cancer, but they can help decide if you may need further testing.
Tissue Biopsy and Further Testing
If your dentist finds something concerning, they can refer you to further testing to help diagnose the issue officially or rule out cancer. This may include a tissue biopsy.
A tissue biopsy, or just biopsy for short, is a procedure where a doctor will take a small tissue sample and send it to a lab for testing. Not all abnormalities are cancer, but a biopsy can help determine definitively what any abnormalities may be.
While there are no official screening frequency recommendations, in general, most people should be checked about once a year. These checks can happen during routine dental cleaning and checkup appointments.
High risk adults may want to have screenings more regularly. People who are positive for HPV may benefit from closer monitoring, as well as people who smoke and regularly drink alcohol.
Important Oral Cancer Risk Factors
Understanding your personal risk for oral cancers can help you take proactive steps for screening. The most common risk factor for oral cancer is HPV infection, followed closely by smoking and the use of alcohol.
Other oral cancer risk factors include:
Prolonged sun exposure or tanning bed use (particularly for the lips).
People over 40 years old are more at risk.
People who have a family history of cancer are at greater risk.
People with poor oral hygiene may be at increased risk.
If you have any of the above risk factors, you may wish to be screened more regularly.
HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer: What You Need To Know
Human papillomavirus is the most common cause of oral cancer and the most common sexually transmitted disease. Those who have been diagnosed with HPV should be especially careful to get screened for oral cancer regularly.
Especially concerning is that HPV-caused cancers often affect younger people than other cancers. In many cases, they are often faster spreading and can be harder to detect visually.
For those with HPV, routine screenings are of the utmost importance as the cancer may develop in areas you cannot see or feel and often have no symptoms.
Oral Cancer Signs and Symptoms: Early Warning Signs You Should Not Ignore
In many cases, oral cancer has no signs or symptoms, which is why screening is important. In cases where there are symptoms, they often include:
Sores that do not heal.
Regular sore throats.
Persistent pain in the mouth.
Swollen lymph nodes.
Lumps in the jaw or neck.
White patches on the cheek or on the tongue.
Difficulty swallowing.
Numbness in the mouth, lips, or throat.
Bleeding with no apparent cause.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, see a doctor right away for further screening and testing.
We Accept Most Dental Insurance
Absolute Dental is a preferred provider for most insurances, unions, and hotels that include: Aetna, Ameritas, Boon-Chapman, Caesars Palace, Cigna, Delta Dental, Diversified, Geha, Guardian, Harrah’s, HealthSCOPE Benefits, Health Plan of Nevada (HPN), Humana, Liberty, Met-Life, MGM-MIRAGE, Premier Access, The Standard, Station Casinos, Teachers Health Trust, United Concordia, United Healthcare, Venetian, and The Zenith. We also accept Medicaid.
If you do not see your dental insurance listed here, just give us a call to confirm!
One of the biggest misconceptions about oral cancer screenings is that it is time-consuming or painful. It’s neither. During your screening, your doctor will give you a visual and physical exam of your mouth with their fingers. That’s it.
In some cases, your dentist will do a more in-depth screening that may include UV or blue light technology or use a special dye. Again, this is painless and rapid. The entire process should take just a few minutes.
Why Early Detection Changes Everything
We cannot stress this enough; the earlier oral cancer is caught, in general, the better the outcomes and prognosis. When cancer is caught early, it can be treated more effectively with less invasive measures.
This means when oral cancer is caught early, you have a better chance of survival, and the methods doctors must use to combat the cancer are far less harsh on your body.
Oral Cancer Screening at Absolute Dental in Sparks
At Absolute Dental in Sparks, Nevada, patient safety and comfort are our main concerns. Oral cancer screenings are baked into all of our checkup and cleaning appointments. All you must do to get a screening for oral cancer is to schedule an appointment today.
We’re always accepting new patients, and our customers love our state-of-the-art facilities equipped with the latest technology, our friendly dentists and support staff, and our patient-first approach to dental practice.
Take Action: Schedule Your Screening Today
Oral cancer screenings are fast, painless, and can save your life. Waiting for symptoms of oral cancer to appear can be deadly. Best of all, an oral cancer screening can be done right at your regular six-month checkup, without further hassle.
Schedule your screening for oral cancer in Sparks today by coming in for a checkup and cleaning. Otherwise, you can schedule a special screening if you’re concerned. You’ll be glad you did.
The three-finger test is a simple test for oral cancer your dentist will likely perform at your checkup and cleaning appointment. It involves gently feeling different tissues in and near the mouth for lumps and other abnormalities.
The best part about an oral cancer screening is that it’s painless and takes just a few minutes. It can be done right at your regularly scheduled cleaning.
Oral cancer commonly develops on the tongue, the floor of the mouth, in the tonsils, and on the back of the throat. It can also develop on the lips, due to sun and other UV exposure.
Typically, yes, oral cancer screenings are covered by insurance, especially when they are part of a routine cleaning and dental exam. You can check with your provider directly for more information.
