Oral Cancer Screening

One American dies every hour from oral cancer, which emphasizes the importance of cancer screenings the importance of cancer screenings.

The Yellow Springs dentist, Dr. JT Russell, has always emphasized the examination as a way of educating the public on this serious health risk.

Cigna Dental Insurance suggests increased attention to Cancer Screening:

Most people diagnosed with oral cancer

are over the age of 40 and use tobacco, but oral cancer can strike at

any age - whether you use tobacco or not.

Your regular exam is a good time for your dentist to check your entire

mouth for signs of cancer. An oral cancer exam is totally painless.

Basically, your dentist will look for any suspicious spots in and around

your mouth - the roof of your mouth, the insides of your cheeks, and the

underside of your tongue. This simple screening is an important step in

protecting your oral and overall health. While most dentists include this

screening with every routine exam, we encourage you to make sure your

dentist gives you an oral cancer exam during your next visit.

What if there’s a spot?

In about 10% of patients, the dentist may notice a flat, painless, white or red spot or a small sore. Although most

of those spots are harmless, some are not. Harmful oral spots or sores often look the same as those that are

harmless, but testing can tell them apart.

recommend a simple test such as a brush biopsy.

During this painless procedure, also called a BrushTest

will use a small brush to scrape some of the unusual cells. A laboratory

then tests the sample to find out whether any cells are pre-cancerous

or cancerous. You don’t need anesthesia for this non-invasive

procedure, and results may help

2 To make sure that a spot or sore is not dangerous, your dentist may®, the dentist

In about 10% of patients, the dentist may notice a flat, painless, white or red spot or a small sore. Although most

of those spots are harmless, some are not. Harmful oral spots or sores often look the same as those that are

harmless, but testing can tell them apart.

recommend a simple test such as a brush biopsy.

During this painless procedure, also called a BrushTest

will use a small brush to scrape some of the unusual cells. A laboratory

then tests the sample to find out whether any cells are pre-cancerous

or cancerous. You don’t need anesthesia for this non-invasive

procedure, and results may help

2 To make sure that a spot or sore is not dangerous, your dentist may®, the dentist

In about 10% of patients, the dentist may notice a flat, painless, white or red spot or a small sore. Although most

of those spots are harmless, some are not. Harmful oral spots or sores often look the same as those that are

harmless, but testing can tell them apart.

recommend a simple test such as a brush biopsy.

During this painless procedure, also called a BrushTest

will use a small brush to scrape some of the unusual cells. A laboratory

then tests the sample to find out whether any cells are pre-cancerous

or cancerous. You don’t need anesthesia for this non-invasive

procedure, and results may help

2 To make sure that a spot or sore is not dangerous, your dentist may®, the dentist