Oral cancer is highly treatable when caught early, and dangerous when caught late. The difference is usually a screening, which is why one is built into every comprehensive exam at Blue Bird Dental, at no extra charge and with no extra appointment.
Your dentist visually and physically examines your lips, cheeks, tongue (top, sides, and underneath), the floor and roof of your mouth, throat, and the lymph nodes of your neck, looking for ulcers that have not healed, red or white patches, lumps, thickened tissue, or asymmetry. It takes about two minutes and is quick and comfortable.
Tobacco in any form and regular alcohol use remain the biggest risk factors, and the combination multiplies risk. HPV-related oral cancers are rising in younger, non-smoking adults, and sun exposure contributes to lip cancers, relevant in a sunny city like Kamloops. But roughly one in four oral cancer patients has no traditional risk factors at all, which is exactly why we screen everyone.
A sore that does not heal within two weeks, persistent hoarseness, numbness, difficulty swallowing, or a lump anywhere in the mouth or neck warrants a call to us or your physician promptly. Most such findings turn out to be harmless. The screening exists for the ones that are not.
When was your last screening? Book an exam: (250) 372-2326 Contact Us
Questions, or ready to book? Call (250) 372-2326 or request an appointment online.