Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screenings are an examination performed by a dentist or doctor to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth. The purpose of an oral cancer screening is to identify mouth cancer early, when there is a greater chance for effective treatment.

There are a variety of factors that increase the chance of oral cancer. Patients who use tobacco of any kind, drink alcohol regularly, or have had a previous oral cancer diagnosis  are recommended to receive an oral cancer screening at Bridge Smiles Dental. 

Screenings are a harmless test that dentists use to determine if there may be cause for concern and if additional tests need to be done. The screening will consist of the dentist examining the patient’s mouth and feeling for any lumps and abnormalities in your mouth. Another test is patients rinsing their mouth with blue dye before an exam where abnormal cells turn blue and could lead to further examination. Testing for oral cancer is painless and doesn’t take long so give us a call at Bridge Smiles Dental to receive an exam.

For more information visit our website at www.bridgesmilesdental.com.To schedule an appointment, give us a call at 908-725-0400. Samuel Meghadri, Bridge Smiles Dental, 15 North Bridge, St Somerville, NJ.

Alcohol and Oral Cancer

At Bridge Smiles Dental Group, we provide treatment for a number of oral health issues, but our preferred approach is prevention. To help combat oral cancer, we wanted to pass along new findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) linking cancer to use of alcohol.

According to the ASCO’s new study, use of alcohol increases the risk of cancer, including of the mouth and throat, by about 5%. This number is inclusive of alcohol when used in light or moderate amounts, although heavy drinking appears to be riskier. The rate was unchanged by the amount of alcohol consumed. While doctors have long warned of the dangers of drinking and smoking, this study was different in that it examined drinking in isolation. The exact reason alcohol is linked to oral cancer remains unknown, but the researchers suspect that the breaking down and rebuilding of the soft tissues of the mouth increases the risk of DNA getting miscopied, resulting in cancerous growths.

Not all the news from the ASCO is bad. While alcohol is associated with many types of cancer, the damage it does to the aerodigestive tract is reversible. When people quit drinking, their risk for oral cancer declined to the level of people who never drank.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.

 

The Purpose of Oral Cancer Screening

At Bridge Smile Dental Group P.A. oral cancer screenings are a very important part of the dental visit for the patient. The goal of oral cancer screening is to detect mouth cancer at an early stage – when cancer or lesions are the easiest to remove and most likely to be cured. People with a high risk of oral cancer may be more likely to benefit from oral cancer screening and factors that can increase the risk of oral cancer include:

• Tobacco use of any kind


• Heavy alcohol use


• Previous oral cancer diagnosis


• History of significant sun exposure, which increases the risk of lip cancer

During your dental visit, our doctors can talk to you about your oral health history and examine your oral cavity for signs of mouth and/or throat cancer. The screening will consist of visual inspection of the mouth and palpation of the jaw and neck.

If you have questions about oral cancer screening, give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.bridgesmilesdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Bridge Smile Dental Group P.A. in Somerville, NJ, call 908-725-0400.