Oral cancer often goes unnoticed by doctors unless it’s recognized early by a dentist. That’s why routine oral cancer screenings are so important.
If you’re a new patient at Monarch Dental Arts, Dr. Paholiouk will want to discuss your overall health and your risk factors for oral cancer with you. For example, HPV infection, smoking, or heavy sun exposure may raise your risk of oral cancer significantly.
Next, your Rancho Mission Viejo dentist will examine the inside of your mouth. If necessary, she will use a small, flexible camera with a bright light on the end to look closely at potential lesions and other abnormalities in your mouth.
Most of the time, Dr. Paholiouk will give you a clean bill of health. Statistically, oral cancer is quite rare compared to other types of cancer. However, if she notices an issue, she will recommend a biopsy to have the lesion or tissue checked for cancer.
This depends on the type and extent of the condition. Every person is different. However, you may notice things like a lip sore or mouth sore that doesn’t heal, patches of white or reddish tissue inside your mouth, or strange lumps, bumps, growths, and lesions.
These issues do not always indicate oral cancer, and can be caused by other issues. A bump below your tongue, for example, could be a harmless bone growth called a “dental torus.” However, it’s still a good idea to see a dentist in Rancho Mission Viejo, CA regularly to catch these issues early, if present.
If the cancer is more advanced, it may cause more serious signs and symptoms like loose teeth, feeling like you have a lump in your throat, mouth pain, difficulty or pain when swallowing, and ear pain. If you notice these issues, you should see your primary care physician right away.
Unless you get a biopsy, you’ll get your results immediately. If Dr. Anya determines that your mouth is healthy, she’ll be able to tell you that right away, giving you peace of mind.
However, if you do require a biopsy, it may take several days to have the tissue analyzed for cancerous cells and to get your results, so keep this in mind. Depending on the situation, you may also need to be referred to another dentist or oral surgeon for your biopsy. If you are a patient in the Ladera Ranch, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and Rancho Mission Viejo area.
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