Oral cancer is highly treatable when it's caught early — and hard to treat when it isn't. The difference between those outcomes is usually a screening exactly like the one built into every exam at our office.
It takes about two minutes, it's completely painless, and most patients don't even realize it happened.
We examine your lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, the floor and roof of your mouth, and your throat for any sores, patches, lumps, or color changes that don't belong — including the subtle ones you'd never notice yourself. We also ask about symptoms like persistent hoarseness or difficulty swallowing.
Tobacco and heavy alcohol use raise risk significantly, but oral cancer increasingly appears in people with no traditional risk factors. That's why we screen every adult, every exam — not just patients who check a box.
If we find anything that needs a closer look, we'll tell you plainly what we see and get you to the right specialist quickly.
No — it's a standard part of every exam here. If you'd like us to walk you through it as we go, just ask.
A sore that doesn't heal within two weeks, a white or red patch, a lump or thickening, unexplained bleeding, or persistent numbness. Any of those deserves a call to the office.