Visit Your Dentist for Screening During Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Many patients don’t know that April is oral cancer awareness month. There’s no better way to celebrate than to visit a trusted dentist for screening. Most dentists offer oral cancer screenings during six month preventive dentistry exams. If you’re not sure that your dentist offers this service, you should ask about oral cancer screening next time you visit their office. By taking a few extra moments at your dental office, you can significantly reduce your risk for this common health concern.

Benefits of Regular Oral Cancer Screenings

We recommend patients receive oral cancer screenings at least twice a year during dental checkups. These regular screenings offer us the ability to diagnose oral cancer in the earliest stages, which improves chances for successful treatment and decreases the numbers of annual oral cancer-related deaths.

Your Oral Cancer Screening

During oral cancer screening, you can expect to receive gentle, thorough visual and manual examination of your oral and facial structures. The dentist may also ask a series of questions to help them better understand whether you are at risk for this disease or experiencing nonvisual side effects. If you are concerned about your risk for oral cancer, don’t hesitate to ask your dentist or a physician about the risk factors and warning signs of this disease.

Warning Signs of Oral Cancer

There are many warning signs that you may be suffering from oral cancer, and during oral cancer awareness month, it’s our goal to educate patients about these symptoms. When patients are aware of the side effects of this disease, they can alert their dentist or a medical professional in earlier stages, improving chances of making a full recovery. Some of the most common symptoms of oral cancer include:

• Changes in the color or texture of soft tissue
• Oral sores that don’t heal
• Hard knots in soft tissue
• Swelling or hardening of the lymph nodes
• Hoarse voice or sore throat
• Difficulty swallowing

Meet the DeMartino Dental Group

The DeMartino Dental Group always goes above and beyond to help patients achieve healthy smiles and lead healthy lives. We offer oral cancer screenings for all of our Phillipsburg dentistry patients during every biannual dental checkup. If you would like to learn more about oral cancer screening in our office or schedule an appointment with us, please don’t hesitate to call. We look forward to helping you with all of your oral health and hygiene needs, and we welcome patients of all ages.