Oral Cancer Screenings in Jamaica Plain, MA
People hear the term cancer, and they start to panic. At Pondside Dental Associates in Jamaica Plain, MA, we perform oral cancer screenings near you routinely. It’s not because we think our patients have cancer or are at a high risk of getting it. Oral cancer screenings are done as a precaution.
Diagnosing cancer through screening is usually better than waiting for it to manifest. By the time cancer starts to produce symptoms, it might have grown a considerable amount. The goal of screenings is to catch cancer at an early stage where it’s easier to treat, and patients have better prognoses.
Risk Factors and Symptoms
There are risk factors that make it more likely for a person to get oral cancer. Smoking tops the list. Heavy smokers are at an increased risk of getting oral cancer. Alcohol is also a risk factor. Patients with a family or personal history of cancer are more likely to get oral cancer.
Oral cancer might be completely asymptomatic. As cancer grows, patients might start to notice masses or ulcers. They might also experience difficulty swallowing, weight loss, pain, and night sweats. Our goal is to catch cancer before it starts causing symptoms through oral cancer screening near you.
How Screening Is Done
Oral cancer screening in Jamaica Plain is quite simple. We start by looking for signs of cancer. These include irregular ulcers, masses, and discolored areas. Sometimes cancer can manifest as an ulcer with discharge and a bad odor. The palpation is next. We’ll use our fingers and tools to feel around your oral cavity gently.
What if our Jamaica Plain dentist finds something? Lesions that look like they might be cancerous are biopsied. Biopsies are sent to a pathology lab for further assessments. If something looks benign, we might ask you to visit us again in 2 weeks so we can see whether it healed or is still there.
We can’t diagnose cancer until we get a report from the pathology lab. Rest assured that we’ll explain everything and answer all of your questions. We’ll guide you through the process and take good care of you regardless of the results.
Our team at Pondside Dental Associates ensures that any signs of cancer are detected before the condition worsens. Are you in Brookline, Newton, West Roxbury, Boston, Dorchester, and Somerville, Newton South, Cambridge, or the surrounding areas and need a dentist in Jamaica Plain, MA? Meet our top dentist near you in Roslindale. Our dentist near you can’t wait to meet you.