A dentist or a doctor performs oral cancer screening to determine any sign concerning cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth. The screening ensures that the dentist detects cancer symptoms early, which means when there is a significant chance of treating it.

Some of the dentists examine your mouth for oral cancer during your routine dental visit. On the other hand, some consider it as an additional test to identify the areas of abnormal cells in the mouth.

Oral cancer screening aims at identifying early signs of oral cancer or precancerous conditions so that they can be removed easily and cured thereon. However, there is still no proof of whether this screening saves the lives of people from cancer.

People with a high risk of oral cancer should definitely go for oral cancer screening. They should avoid the following factors that can be the cause of oral cancer:

The increase in the number of people diagnosed with mouth and throat cancer makes oral cancer screening critical. Hence, talk to your dentist if you are concerned about the risk of cancer.

During oral cancer screening, the dentist examines the mouth for red or white patches and mouth sores. He will also check for lumps or other abnormalities in your tissue, throat, and neck.

Some dentists perform additional tests to identify oral cancer. These tests generally involve:

Oral Cancer Screening Dye

Before oral cancer screening, your dentist asks you to rinse your mouth with a special dye. This dye is absorbed by abnormal cells and makes it appear blue.

Oral Cancer Screening Light

During the screening process, your dentist uses a light that will make the healthy tissue look dark and the unhealthy one white.

If you have been detected from an early sign of oral cancer or precancerous situation, your dentist will ask you to: