Oral Cancer
When oral cancer is detected early by your dentist, the chances of a complete cure are highest.
Regular dental checkups, which include an examination of the entire mouth, are essential in the early detection of both cancerous and precancerous conditions. A person may have a dangerous oral lesion and not be aware of it.
Oral "sores" or "lesions" are extremely common. The vast majority are harmless, but some are potentially dangerous.
Because harmful oral lesions often look identical to those that are harmless, we cannot visually determine which lesions are troublesome. Only testing can do this.
We now have a quick and painless test that can help to identify which oral lesions need further treatment.
OralCDx is a brush biopsy test that we can use on lesions in your mouth to determine if there are potentially dangerous (precancerous or cancerous) cells present.
The OralCDx test does not require anesthesia or numbing, and causes minimal to no bleeding or discomfort.
Oral cancer occurs more often in those who use tobacco in any form including: cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes, and cigars; or those who consume large amounts of alcohol. But oral cancer can and does develop in people of all ages, races, and lifestyle habits. Over 25% of oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke and who only drink socially.
An oral lesion may be a persistent sore or irritation, a small, flat, red or white patch, or a growth, lump, thickening, rough spot, crust, or irritated area. It is often painless, and you may not be aware of it. Because many oral lesions are flat, very small, or in an area of your mouth that you can not see, they can often only be detected during a periodic oral examination by your dentist.
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