London dentists look for oral cancers during routine examination
Oral cancer can occur inside the mouth, on the lips, gums, tongue, throat and salivary glands. The worst thing about this type of cancer is that it is completely asymptomatic at the beginning, mostly painless and therefore, extremely difficult to detect. But, there are some signs that maybe associated with an early onset of oral cancer. It is very essential to get any abnormalities in the mouth, tongue, lips, gums or surrounding areas checked by a dentist as oral cancer treatment has been found to be very effective if the cancer is detected and treated early on. There are many well-established dental practices in London for you to choose from.
Some of the most common signs of oral cancer include continuous pain in the mouth, difficulty in movement of the jaw or the mouth and in chewing or swallowing of food, sores, bumps and ulcerous lesions in the mouth, bleeding from the gums or cheeks, constant soreness in the throat, numbness in any part of the mouth and so on. Do remember that this is not an all-inclusive list and that these can also be symptoms of other dental ailments.
The best way to make sure is to get it evaluated by your dentist in London who may also refer you to an oncologist if he suspects that you might have oral cancer. Together, they will examine your mouth and also look into your medical history to prepare an initial diagnosis and suggest suitable treatment. If the initial treatment plan doesn’t yield results, a biopsy of the affected area needs to be performed. A confirmed malignant biopsy is used to diagnose oral cancer and identify its stage and grade. Additional tests such as X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans may also be required to determine the path of the cancer. Based on these tests, your dentist and doctor will create a treatment plan to suit you needs.
