According to the American Dental Association, 41,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and throat cancers this year. With 60% of the U.S. population visiting the dentist each year, your Tucson, AZ, dental office is the first line of defense for early detection.
As the premier oral health experts in Tucson, AZ, we take our role in your overall health to heart at Smile Perfection. Every routine dental exam that Sharad Pandhi, D.D.S. performs includes more than diagnostic x-rays and a thorough cleaning. he also completes a potentially lifesaving mouth cancer screening that is executed with the sole purpose of identifying cancer early enough to significantly increase the chances of a full recovery.
Oral or mouth cancer reveals itself as a growth or sore in the mouth or throat that doesn’t go away with time. Oral cancer symptoms include:
Our oral cancer screenings consist of a verbal, visual, and physical examination, and they include the following:
Though most sores (one of the primary signs of oral cancer) are noncancerous, the screening alone can’t determine this. If an abnormality is found, Sharad Pandhi, D.D.S. may perform a biopsy (remove some cells for testing) or refer you to a mouth cancer specialist.
You should be screened at every routine dental visit.
If you are diagnosed with cancer, Dr. Pandhi will refer you to a specialist so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible.
If you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be sent to a doctor who specializes in treating oral cancer. Treatment typically consists of removal of the cancerous growth followed by radiation or chemotherapy treatment.
Maintaining your routine dental visits with us ensures your smile continues to sparkle, but it also vastly improves the chance that abnormalities in your mouth will be caught early, which increases your chances of successful treatment should any be cancerous.