Houston Dentist Serving Patients in Baytown, Pasadena, Channelview and Nearby Areas of Texas
Have you ever taken a look inside your mouth? Actually inspected it thoroughly? Well, hopefully, when you do, everything looks fine and dandy. But how would you know? How would you be aware if something malicious were to develop?
That is why professional screening is of the utmost importance. if you have the means, our dentist beseeches everyone to go for an annual checkup – just as a precautionary measure. At its earliest stages, cancer can be conquered pretty easily. But if you let it grow and metastasize, your chances of winning the battle drop precipitously. So what should you do?
We begin by palpating the neck, face, lips, tongue, throat and gums – to ensure that there are no aberrations or unusual bumps. It is worth noting that screening cannot detect all mouth cancers though we still highly recommend having one done, as some precautionary action is still better than none.
Common causes of oral cancer include:
- Heavy alcohol use
- Tobacco use including cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco
- Eating betel nuts
- Sunlight exposure (causes lip cancer)
- HPV infection
If your dentist spots a peculiar sore, you may need to go through further testing to discover its nature and cause. The only way to know with certainty whether you have oral cancer is to remove some of the abnormal cells and perform a biopsy.
We wish that the screenings were one hundred percent efficacious and that they offered crystal clear results every single time. Sadly though, that is not the reality, and we must share that with you.
Visit Love Brushing Dentistry for a thorough examination of your oral health. Call 713-490-2088 or fill out the form on this page today. Dr. Khavari and her team serve patients in Pasadena, Channelview, Baytown and throughout East Houston.