Before undergoing any oral cancer procedure, a screening exam is necessary. To do this, your oral surgeon will schedule you for an oral cancer screening test. During this test, they will look over the inside of your mouth and check if there are mouth sores. If they see some white or red patches, your oral cancer screening in Aventura will include other tests necessary to determine whether you have oral cancer.
Tests Performed During an Oral Cancer Screening
Manual Check-up or Exam
Aside from white or red patches and mouth sores, your dentist will also touch the inside of your mouth using gloves to check for lumps and abnormalities. Likewise, a neck and throat examination may also be performed to make sure that there are no developing abnormalities that can tamper with your screening results.
Oral Cancer Screening Dye
This additional test will require you to rinse your mouth with a special blue dye before you take the test. If blue dye appears after you rinse, it indicates that you have abnormal cells in your mouth.Other than using a special blue dye, oral cancer may also be detected using a screening light. Your oral surgeon will shine a special light in your mouth. The light makes abnormal cells appear white while healthy cells appear dark.
Additional Oral Cancer Screening Tests
One special screening for oral cancer may include fluorescence staining and exfoliative cytology. The former is often performed when the patient has lesions. The special light is shined upon the affected area, and a fluorescent mouth rinse is placed to identify any abnormal tissue.On the other hand, exfoliative cytology is performed by getting cells from the mouth with a wooden stick, piece of cotton, or brush and viewing them under a microscope to check if there are irregularities.
Quick and Effective Oral Cancer Screening in Aventura
If you think you have mouth sores, white or red patches, or lumps inside your mouth, contact Oral Facial Reconstruction and Implant Center to schedule an oral cancer screening!
