Mouth Cancer Screening

We strongly recommend coming in for routine dentist appointments, during which mouth cancer screening is performed.

We will diligently look for any concerning symptoms and can arrange for a referral for further investigation if necessary. We know the ‘C’ word can be a scary prospect, and wish for patients to know that they will be supported, and are free to voice any concerns or worries they have, to our friendly and experienced team.

What is mouth cancer screening?

Mouth cancer screening is carried out during your routine dentist appointments, and if caught early, patients have a significantly likely chance of a full recovery. With this in mind, it’s essential that you never miss an appointment.

The steps taken by your dentist during mouth cancer screening appointments

Your dentist will take the following steps when screening for mouth cancer:

• Ask you about your lifestyle, so risk factors can be established.
• Help you formulate a plan to reduce risk factors (such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption) if you feel you need help with this.
• Look for white and red patches in the mouth or on the tongue.
• Look for lumps around the neck area.
• Ask you if you have been experiencing pain when swallowing.
• Ask you if you have experienced anything changes to the way you speak.
• Look for ulcers or sores that don’t appear to be healing.

If you notice any of the changes above, please don’t leave it until your routine appointment to get in touch.

It’s always better to get checked out, and we always prefer patients to come and see us if they’re worried, even if all turns out to be well.