Mouth Cancer Screening

Mouth cancer screening is indispensable for picking up possible signs of mouth cancer early.

We can’t stress how important it is to remember that the earlier mouth cancer is detected, the more likely a full recovery is achievable. It’s for this reason that we encourage patients never to miss a routine screening appointment.

What can I expect during a mouth cancer screening session?

During your mouth cancer screening session, we will look for the following symptoms:

• Ulcers that don’t appear to be healing.
• White patches across the soft tissues in your mouth.
• Changes to your speech.
• Numbness in the mouth or across the lips.
• Changes to the way you chew and swallow.

Should we notice symptoms that are cause for concern, we may send you for a referral, so further investigations can be carried out.

Supporting you to live well

There is now overwhelming research consolidating the fact that habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption significantly raise the possibility of developing mouth cancer.

Here at Earley Dental Practice, we can help you develop better lifestyle habits, to lower this risk, and live a healthier day-to-day life. If you’ve been avoiding the dentist due to dental anxiety, we can offer compassionate help and support to enable you to overcome these nerves and to come in for essential check-ups.

You can also opt for IV (intravenous) sedation, which gives the effect of being relaxed and drowsy whilst you undergo your screening session. IV sedation (or sleep dentistry as it’s often referred to), is nothing short of miraculous for patients who really struggle to remain calm during their visits to the dentist.

In some cases, patients who have sedation just once, sometimes feel they don’t actually need it again for future appointments, having overcome their long-term fear of the dentist!