Oral Cancer Screenings – Arlington Heights, IL

What is Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer is a common type of cancer that affects over 60,000 Americans a year. While anyone can get oral cancer, those who use tobacco products, drink excessively, have a family history, or have HPV may have a higher risk of being affected. Typically, oral cancer is incredibly difficult to spot on your own, which is one of the reasons why our routine screenings are so important. While this type of cancer can be life-threatening, it is completely treatable if caught early on! That’s why we provide our patients with oral cancer screenings during routine dental checkups. We give our patients peace of mind that they are cancer-free, making your regular dental appointments more vital than you may have guessed.

Common Signs of Oral Cancer

While oral cancer is often tough to spot, you can do your best to be aware of some of the most common symptoms:

• Pain, bleeding, or numbness in the mouth
• White or red patches in the mouth
• Consistent soreness in the throat
• Pain when chewing
• Hoarseness in the voice
• Pain in an ear

If you notice any of these warning signs, contact our office right away. One of our experts will carefully examine your mouth and provide you with the best next steps.

The Oral Cancer Screening Process

From start to finish, we will ensure that you’re happy and comfortable. An oral cancer screening is painless, quick, and noninvasive. In fact, you may have even received a screening before without even knowing it because it’s over in a matter of minutes. First, we will visually examine your mouth, checking for any signs listed above or other abnormalities that can occur. We’ll examine your throat, lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, neck, head and any other related areas. Next, we will provide a physical exam, where one of our experts will feel around your jaw and lymph nodes to make sure there aren’t any lumps, bumps, or asymmetries. If we do notice any signs of cancer, we will order a biopsy for further investigation. However, this part of your routine dental appointment will only take about 5 minutes maximum.