Daly City Dentist | Daly City dental care | | Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screenings are a very important part of the dental visit for the patient. With the advances in modern technology, we are now able to pinpoint the start of a potential problem much earlier in its evolution. The ability to do so is extremely important in being able to treat any issues prior to them becoming a major irreversible problem.

Oral cancer screening in our office is done two ways: first, a visual examination is done to spot any irregularities in your oral tissue. Second, our dentists use Velscope technology to pinpoint any changes in your tissue on a molecular level. An ultraviolet light is shined inside your mouth, and allows us to detect any soft tissue lesions which cannot be seen by the human eye alone.

Certain lifestyle choices can have a great impact on the health of tissues and your overall health in the mouth. If you are a smoker or heavy drinker, make sure to get regular screenings when you visit the dentist.

Smoking, especially combined with heavy alcohol consumption (30 drinks a week or more), is the primary risk factor for oral cancer.  In fact, this combination is estimated to be the most likely trigger in about 75 percent of oral cancers diagnosed in the United States. Other lifestyle and environmental factors also may increase your risk of developing oral cancer.