• Oral Cancer Screening

  • The best way to fight any form of cancer is through early detection.  The same is so for oral cancer. Thus, it is our priority to fight oral cancer before it worsens.  Our goal is to find and isolate oral cancer as quickly as possible. And, if we can diagnose oral cancer before it progresses, we can significantly increase your survival rate.  So, we make it a priority to examine every one of our patients for oral cancer at every dental exam.

    On average, over 35,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with oral cancer.  Unfortunately, only 57% of those diagnosed are expected to be alive in five years.  This isn’t because oral cancer is difficult to fight; rather, it’s because people wait too long before visiting their dentist.  At Cumberland Dental Arts, we are serious about your health. We encourage routine checkups every six months. These oral exams allow us to catch problems early when they are treatable.  

    Signs of Oral Cancer

    Along with regular professional dental exams, you should be aware of common symptoms and signs that accompany the onset of oral cancer such as:

    • Sores that take longer than 2 weeks to heal
    • Patches in the oral cavity that look abnormal and can appear blue, red, or white in color
    • Lumps
    • Thickening of soft tissues
    • Numbness in the mouth
    • Abnormal swelling

    The same symptoms could lead to a less serious diagnosis, but until those can be ruled out, you should consult with our Yarmouth dentist and staff.

    Contributing Risks

    A large majority of oral cancer is attributed to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in younger generations.  This is a change from prior studies where alcohol and tobacco use was the contributing factor in patients above age 50.  The studies may change from time to time, but the causes do not. These are some of the risk factors that increase the chances of oral cancer:

    • HPV – Human Papilloma Virus
    • Alcohol and tobacco use
    • Other ( such as genetics)

    Oral Cancer Screening

    At your regular dental exam with our Yarmouth dentist and hygienist, you can expect our oral cancer screening to evaluate these areas:

    • Face
    • Lymphatic nodes
    • Cheeks
    • Tongue
    • Soft tissues
    • Palate
    • Tonsils