Oral Cancer Screening
If not detected and treated early, oral cancer can be fatal. Oral cancer can involve the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses and pharynx (throat). To protect patients from a life-threatening diagnosis, we offer oral cancer screenings as a part of our general dental care at Carolina Commons Dentistry.
Our dentist has been trained to use the latest technology and identify any signs of cancer in your mouth. Oral cancer screenings are painless, quick and highly valuable. As always, we will keep you informed at every step and lead you into an appropriate treatment plan if further action is needed. Our oral cancer screenings and other preventative dental care services are conducted with the highest level of precision and care. In fact, our staff members will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and relaxed.
Warning Signs of Mouth Cancer
Are you at high risk for oral cancer? Because the risk factors now include tobacco, alcohol, and/or exposure to HPV-16, nearly every adult in the country is at risk for developing mouth cancer. We value the importance of helping patients lower their risk for oral cancer and finding healthy lifestyle habits to prevent cancer.
While Dr. Sagunarthy performs oral cancer screenings at your regular dental visits, we encourage patients to learn to identify the signs of oral cancer on their own. Mouth cancer often presents itself with the following symptoms:
- A sore or lump that doesn’t go away on its own.
- Difficulty swallowing, moving your jaw and/or tongue.
- Numbness in your mouth.
- Earaches.
- A feeling like something is stuck in the back of your throat.
If you are experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, please schedule an appointment with our caring dentist as soon as possible. We can identify mouth cancer early so that it can be treated conservatively and successfully.