There is one step in your dental exam that can be a lifesaver – oral cancer screening. One American dies from oral cancer every hour. Virtually everyone is at risk. In fact, twenty-five percent of cases of oral cancer occur in people who don’t smoke and have no other lifestyle risk factors.

Oral cancer is one of the most curable diseases when it’s caught early. That’s why we perform an annual oral cancer exam in combination with your conventional dental exam.

Are you at risk for oral cancer?

• Highest risk: Patients 40 and older with lifestyle risk factors (tobacco and/or alcohol use, exposure to human papillomavirus [HPV]).
• High risk: Patients 40 and older without lifestyle risk factors.
• Increased risk: Patients 18 -39 without lifestyle risk factors.

An annual cancer screening is quick and painless. You simply rinse with a cleansing solution and then we will examine your mouth using a specially designed light that can detect pre-malignant lesions and oral cancer. A few minutes once a year can go a long way towards helping ensure a long and healthy life!

Feel free to contact us at our Colchester dental office if you have any questions about oral cancer screenings or to schedule an appointment with our team of caring dental specialists.