During comprehensive twice-a-year dental checkups, the dentist and hygienist not only perform a professional cleaning and health assessment of the patient’s teeth and gums, but they also screen for signs of oral cancer. Also known as “mouth cancer,” these types of cancers include cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (throat). If not diagnosed and treated early, these cancers can be life-threatening. Because oral cancer rarely causes pain in its early stages, it is usually only detected by dental professionals, who can spot abnormal cell growth that looks like flat patches. A sore in the mouth that does not heal is the most common symptom of oral cancer.
Your total health is always our concern at West Brookfield Dental. That’s why all new patient exams are so thorough, so we can establish a baseline against which we can measure your future oral profile and progress. And regular professional checkups make it possible to watch for developing concerns and address them while they are still small, before they can turn into something more serious. For an appointment for advanced, gentle dental care, please call us at 508.867.2777, 9 West Main St., West Brookfield.
P.S. Some oral cancers are not detected until they produce symptoms similar to those of a toothache.
