Part of oral healthcare is taking the preventative steps necessary to protect your teeth, tongue, gums, and mouth from disease and other problems. One of the things that may get overlooked is the need for an oral cancer screening.
At Renew Dental, we know no one wants to think about oral cancer, but protective screenings are essential in detecting early symtoms of oral cancer to treat it before causing severe damage to the mouth.
What Are Oral Cancer Screenings?
The general idea of an oral cancer screening is that a trained professional (our dentist) will look for any sores, lesions, or other abnormalities in your mouth. They may even take biopsies of any growths to have them checked for cancerous or precancerous cells.
Oral cancer screenings near you are important because they can help catch signs early and prevent them from progressing into more serious problems. Once the person has been diagnosed with oral cancer, it may be too late to do anything about it as there’s usually no cure for this type of disease once it progresses past certain stages where treatment becomes ineffective (such as stage four), so preventing its occurrence at all costs is always recommended.
Who Needs To Be Screened?
There is no general rule or guideline on who should be screened, but it is recommended that everyone is screened at least once a year, and anyone with a family history or who is at high risk for potentially developing oral cancer should be screened more often. Detecting oral cancer in SW Calgary is key, and regular screening is the way to do it.
The best way for someone to find out if they might be at risk is by going through their medical records with their doctor. There are also some signs and symptoms to look out for, but the first step is always a consultation with your dentist to see if you have risk factors or other potential signs of oral cancer.
At Renew Dental, we believe in keeping our patients as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Stop by our dentist’s office near you for an oral cancer screening today.
