Oral Cancer Screenings in Baltimore, MD

Oral cancer is any form of cancer that affects the mouth—including the lips, gums, tongue, and jawbone. Some factors increase your risk of developing oral cancer. These include heavy smoking and drinking, excessive exposure to the sun, and family history of cancer. Patients who have an HPV (human papillomavirus) diagnosis should get checked for oral cancer too, as this virus may spread orally.

As with many diseases, early detection of cancer translates into better chances of completing treatment successfully. If you’d like to be more proactive about your oral health, we advise you to consider oral cancer screenings in Baltimore at least once annually. At Canton Crossing Dental in Baltimore, MD, we encourage our patients to schedule their oral cancer screenings near me at the same time as their annual dental exams and cleaning appointments. This way, you’ll reduce the number of trips you need to make to the dental office.

What The Dentist Checks For During Oral Cancer Screenings

During your oral cancer screening appointment, our dentist in Baltimore will look for any signs that are indicative of oral cancer. These include red and white patches in your mouth, lumps under your chin and in your neck areas, sores and lesions, and bleeding. Our dentist in Canton will ask you questions to determine if you’ve observed any other abnormalities in the recent past. It’s crucial to be truthful when answering these questions as your answers will inform the next steps that the dentist takes.

If the dentist near me observes sufficient signs that point to a potential problem, he will recommend a biopsy. It’s only after the biopsy that you’ll know whether you have oral cancer or not. Typically, biopsy results are available after several weeks.

Oral Cancer Treatment

Getting an oral cancer diagnosis is scary. Fortunately, oral cancer is manageable through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. At Canton Crossing Dental, we can help you by checking for oral cancer symptoms while there’s still plenty of time to enable successful treatment and then refer you to an oncology specialist if the results come back positive for cancer. We’ll also provide you with excellent dental care during your treatment period, as oral cancer treatment often results in complications such as infections and dry mouth, to name a few.

If you’re experiencing any unexplained bleeding or pain in your mouth, give Canton Crossing Dental in Baltimore, MD a call today. Even if you’re in the low-risk category, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

We cater to our patients who reside in pediatric dentist Baltimore, MD and the surrounding areas like Canton, Patterson Park, Highland Town, Greektown, and Brewers Hill.