Oral Cancer Screenings

Discovering that a loved one has oral cancer can come as quite a shock, especially if they never smoked or abused alcohol. Unfortunately, even people with healthy lifestyles can develop this deadly disease. It’s even linked to risk factors that include certain types of viruses and sun exposure.

Examining for Oral Pathology

The best treatment for oral cancer is to screen for it early, often, and diagnose it in the very beginning stages. When someone wears a denture, it can make it especially challenging to tell if there is anything wrong.

Fortunately, Golden Care Dental Services provides oral cancer screenings during every exam. During these exams, your loved one will be screened for signs of:

• Red or white tissues that look suspicious
• Sores that do not heal
• Loss of the “vermillion border” along the lips (causing the lip to blend into the neighbouring tissues)
• Lumps or bumps

Areas examined include the lips, roof of the mouth, back of the throat, the cheeks, tongue, and floor of the mouth. If a precancerous or suspicious area is noted, one of our dentists will order a biopsy for lab diagnosis.