The Importance of Oral Cancer Screenings in Bayport

If you haven’t been to a dentist near you in Bayport, NY for a dental exam or a professional tooth cleaning recently, there’s even more reason to make that appointment. And it could be a life-saving reason! It’s becoming standard practice for dental professionals to perform these screenings on patients as a pre-emptive measure to detect and treat oral cancer in its early stages rather than its advanced stages. If you’re still wondering why are oral cancer screenings important, keep reading to learn more!

What is Oral Cancer?

Sometimes known as oral cavity cancer, this type of cancer refers to any condition occurring inside the mouth. This includes areas such as the inner cheek, tongue, lips, gums, and hard palate. It does not include the throat since this part of the anatomy has its own diagnosis – throat cancer.

Who is Affected by Oral Cancer?

Although the condition can occur across all ages and genders, it is found more often in men than women. It is also especially prominent individuals of both genders who smoke or chew tobacco. There is also emerging evidence that e-cigarettes may be a contributor to this condition, which means it’s affecting more younger populations than in past years.

What are the Warning Signs?

Every patient will have their own unique symptoms depending on factors such as their age, smoking habits, and general health to name a few, but following are the most common warning signs that oral cancer may be present:

• Chronic pain in the mouth area including the gums and tongue
• Chronic and unexplained bad breath
• Swelling in the neck or tenderness of the lymph nodes
• Difficulty swallowing or a sensation that something is caught in your throat
• Lumps in one or both cheeks
• Bleeding from a sore in the mouth that doesn’t heal

How Bayport Dental Care Can Help

Receiving regular dental exams from a dentist near you in Bayport, NY, such as Bayport Dental Care is an important step in the early detection and treatment of oral cancer. Even if you believe that oral cancer is something that you can detect at home, our dental care team has the experience to identify danger spots that are impossible to detect without the right instruments. Make an appointment now to get back on track with your oral health today!