Preventative dental care is essential for maintaining a healthy mouth. Frequently, this consists of regularly scheduled checkups and cleanings as well as brushing and flossing every day. This type of care also includes your dentist checking for any abnormalities, as they can be a sign of oral cancer. In today’s blog, your Cedar Rapids, IA dentist discusses what we look for when conducting an oral cancer screening and the importance of them, overall.
Understand Oral Pathology
Oral cancer screening and treatments fall into the larger field of oral pathology, and it is helpful to understand what all goes into the area of study. At its core, oral pathology is the study, identification, and management of problems that can appear in your mouth. Your mouth is susceptible to various diseases and issues that can affect more than just your teeth and gums. In addition to oral cancer, oral pathology also concerns itself with periodontal disease, ulcers, cleft palate and lip, and tongue enlargement. Considering pathology holistically is important because, several of the aforementioned issues have similar symptoms, which include sores, abrasions, discoloration, bleeding, and more. Because of this, nothing can be ruled out until we conduct tests.
Treating Oral Cancer
Within oral pathology, oral cancer is a major subject of research and treatment. As noted above, it shares symptoms with other issues found in the mouth. With this in mind, it is important to remain vigilant and consistent in efforts to identify this disease. When you come into our office for your checkup, cleaning, or any other procedure, we will inspect your mouth to see if there are any abnormalities. If we do notice anything out of the ordinary, we will conduct an oral biopsy, which is where we take a tissue sample from the affected area and send it to a lab where they test it to see if cancer is present. If it comes back positive, we will suggest immediate treatment and care options. If it is negative, we will continue to monitor the area vigilantly every time you come back in. It is important to remember that oral cancer and other diseases can affect anyone, regardless of your health or age.
Take Preventative Care Seriously
In addition to regularly-scheduled cancer screenings, it is essential to practice preventative care whenever possible. This means visiting your dentist for checkups and cleanings every six months as well as brushing twice a day and flossing at least once. When you take care of your smile on a daily basis, you are minimizing the chances of needing more serious procedures down the road.
Schedule A Visit Today
If you haven’t visited the dentist in a while or you have noticed any abnormalities in your mouth, please schedule an appointment and contact Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA by calling 319-364-7108.
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