Oral Cancer Screening

Person with dental tool in their mouth

Oral cancer screening is an examination performed by a dentist to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth.

The goal of oral cancer screening is to detect mouth cancer or precancerous lesions that may lead to mouth cancer at an early stage — when cancer or lesions are easiest to remove and most likely to be cured.

People with a high risk of oral cancer may be more likely to benefit from oral cancer screening, though studies haven’t clearly proved that. Factors that can increase the risk of oral cancer include:

  • Tobacco use of any kind, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, among others
  • Heavy alcohol use
  • Previous oral cancer diagnosis
  • History of significant sun exposure, which increases the risk of lip cancer

Dr. Ardekani performs an examination of your mouth during a routine dental visit to screen for oral cancer. He may use additional tests to aid in identifying areas of abnormal cells in your mouth.