Oral cancer has an incredible 50 to 80 percent survival rate, provided you catch the disease early. This is unlikely to happen if you don’t keep up with regular medical and dental checkups. Any malignancy, when discovered at an early stage, will be that much easier to fight. Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, makes sure to do a thorough oral cancer screening when patients come in for six month checkups. To make sure you understand more, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about oral/pharyngeal cancer.
Oral Cancer FAQs
Q1. Should any bumps in my mouth make me concerned about oral cancer?
A1. Definitely not. Try not to panic every time you have a bump or sore in your oral cavity. Most mouth lesions end up having a benign cause. If you do have a suspicious spot (particularly if it doesn’t go away after a couple of weeks) you should call Dr. Newton for advice. Colleen Zenk Pinter is a soap opera star that made headlines regarding oral cancer. She had a bump in her mouth which she thought for many months was nothing more than a recurring canker sore. If a particular mouth sore seems to heal but then comes back in the exact same spot, an examination is definitely warranted.
Q2. Does smoking raise the risk of oral cancer?
A2. Unfortunately, yes. Smokers need to be extra vigilant with their oral cancer screenings as tobacco use puts them in a much riskier category for multiple types of malignancies.
Q3. What exactly is a VELscope tool?
A3. At your regular six month checkups, suspicious spots or areas of your mouth will be looked for. If any red flags are noticed, a VELscope tool may be employed for a deeper evaluation. VELscopes serve the purpose of scanning your mouth with a blue-spectrum light. This creates a fluorescent appearance in your soft tissues. Various patterns of light can tell Dr. Newton whether or not oral cancer can be ruled out at that point. The VELscope is a safe and efficient tool that only requires about two minutes for examination.
Oral Cancer Screenings from Celina Dentist
Advances in dental technology can help detect problems early, but keeping up with your bi-annual checkups is an important piece of the puzzle. Dr. Newton is dedicated to providing comfortable oral cancer screenings to her patients, including use of the VELscope. Call (214) 851-0130 to schedule an appointment at Celina Family Dentistry in Celina, TX.
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