Our dentist in South Bend, Indiana, offers oral cancer screenings to ensure you receive the best possible care. Certain lifestyle factors can increase your risk of oral cancer, such as smoking or heavy alcohol use. For this reason, it’s important that you fill out our complete health history form so we can tailor your patient care plan to your unique needs.
The goal of an oral cancer screening is to detect mouth and throat cancer in their early stages, giving you the greatest possibility of successful treatment and survival.
Here’s what you need to know about oral cancer screenings.
What Can I Expect During an Oral Cancer Screening?
During your appointment, our South Bend dentist will examine the soft tissues inside your mouth for red or white patches. He’ll also use a gloved hand to feel for lumps, bumps, and other abnormalities. During the exam, he may also examine your throat and neck.
An oral cancer screening is a simple procedure that we can fit into your routine oral hygiene appointment.
What are the Risk Factors for Oral Cancer?
No one can predict with full accuracy whether or not you’ll develop oral cancer during the course of your lifetime. But we do know that certain factors can increase your risk of oral cancer.
Risk factors for oral cancer include:
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Alcohol abuse
- Family history of cancer
- Previous oral cancer diagnosis
- History of significant sun exposure
If you have any of these risk factors, be sure to mention them to our dentist and staff. We compile detailed medical histories for each patient to ensure fully customized dental care and treatment planning.
Request an Appointment with Dr. Kosek
Douglas J. Kosek DDS is an experienced dentist in South Bend, Indiana, who’s accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, please call (574) 232-2992. You may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.
