What does an oral cancer screening check?
There is nothing to prepare and nothing extra to book: the screening is part of every dental exam. If you wear a denture or partial, we will ask you to take it out so we can see the tissue underneath.
The dentist looks at, and feels, each place where a cancer can start:
- The lips, inside and out.
- The tongue, including its sides and underside, which means gently holding it with a piece of gauze.
- The insides of the cheeks, and the gums.
- The floor of the mouth, under the tongue.
- The palate, which is the roof of the mouth.
- The throat, as far back as can be seen.
- The lymph nodes of the neck and under the jaw, felt from outside for anything enlarged or firm.
Who is at higher risk of oral cancer?
Anyone can develop it, including people with none of the risk factors below. But these raise the odds, and if any apply to you, tell us, because they tell us where to look hardest:
- Tobacco in any form: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco such as dip, chew and snuff. If you dip, tell us where you hold it. It is not an invitation to a lecture; it tells us exactly where to look.
- Alcohol, especially heavy drinking, and especially together with tobacco, which raises the risk further.
- HPV, a common virus linked with cancers at the back of the throat and the base of the tongue, including in people who do not smoke or drink.
- Years of sun on the lips, for anyone who works or spends a lot of time outdoors. A lip balm with sunscreen helps.
Warning signs to show us sooner
Most mouth sores are harmless and heal within two weeks. Anything on this list that lasts longer is worth showing us, whether or not you are due a visit. Call and tell whoever answers what you have noticed, or request an appointment online and the office will call you back.
- A sore, ulcer or rough patch that has not healed in two weeks.
- A red patch, a white patch, or a patch that is both.
- A lump or thickening in the cheek, tongue, gum or neck.
- Hoarseness or a sore throat that will not clear up.
- Numbness in the tongue, the lips or anywhere in the mouth.
- Trouble chewing or swallowing, or a feeling that something is caught in the throat.
What happens if something looks wrong?
Most of what we find turns out to be ordinary: a cheek bitten in your sleep, a denture rubbing in one spot, the sharp edge of a broken tooth. Often the right step is to remove the likely cause and look again in two weeks.
If the spot is still there, or looks concerning from the start, we will refer you for a biopsy, where a small sample of tissue is examined under a microscope. It is the only way to know for certain what a spot is. We will explain why we are referring you and what happens next.
Being referred does not mean it is cancer. It means we would rather know than guess.
Why screening matters even when nothing hurts
Early oral cancer often does not hurt, which is exactly why it gets missed. A screening at each checkup is how a change gets noticed while it is small, rather than once it has grown enough to cause pain.
The same goes for people with no natural teeth left. If you wear full dentures, your mouth still needs checking regularly, even when the dentures feel fine. And if it has been a while since anyone looked, see what a first visit involves; the screening is part of it.
Questions patients ask
Is an oral cancer screening uncomfortable?
No more than the rest of an exam. The dentist looks inside your mouth, holds your tongue with gauze to see its sides, and feels your neck and jaw with their fingers. It takes about a minute.
Do I need a screening if I do not smoke?
Yes. Tobacco raises the risk, but oral cancer also occurs in people who do not use it, including cancers linked with HPV. Because the screening is part of every exam here, you do not need to ask for it.
I found a sore in my mouth. Should I wait for my next checkup?
Not if it has lasted two weeks or more. Call and tell whoever answers what you have noticed, and they will find you an appointment. Most sores turn out to be harmless, but that is worth confirming rather than assuming.
What happens if you find something?
Often we remove the likely cause, such as a rough edge or a rubbing denture, and look again in two weeks. If it is still there, or looks concerning, we refer you for a biopsy, which is the only way to know for certain. A referral is a precaution, not a diagnosis.
Does smokeless tobacco cause mouth cancer?
It is a well-known cause, and the changes often start exactly where the dip or chew is held. If you use it, tell us where, and we will pay close attention to that spot. Quitting lowers the risk over time.