When you go to the dentist, you usually have at least heard of the procedure that is going to be performed, but when it comes to oral cancer screenings, not everyone knows what they entail and why they are needed. Like other dental exams, though, an oral cancer screening is a preventative measure aimed at catching a problem early so that it can be treated more easily, in this case, oral cancer. Here at Sunset Valley Dental in Woodstock, VT, our dentists use the latest tools and technology to treat and detect oral cancer before it spreads to give patients the best possible outcomes.
Even though oral cancer is not as well known as other cancers, our dentists recommend that most adult patients be screened once a year. Patients with high-risk factors may need more frequent screening. Talk to one of our dentists at Sunset Valley Dental today the next time you are in Woodstock, VT, to set up your next appointment for a screening.
If you’ve never had an oral cancer screening and are an adult, the time for your first screening is now. If you have had one previously, but it has been a while, then you should come in and speak with our dentist immediately about getting yourself an appointment for an annual screening.
Assuming the dentist finds no signs of oral cancer, they will set you up for your next annual screening in a year. If the dentist finds signs of cancer, however, they will schedule a follow-up with you to review the results and determine your next course of treatment. Screening aims to catch the cancer early so it is easier to deal with. If everything goes well, the dentist can send you to a specialist or remove the cancerous tissue on site, and the cancer will not cause any further health problems or concerns.