When you visit your local dentist, the practitioner may examine your mouth when screening for oral cancer. Don’t be surprised if additional tests are carried out by the dentist in order to identify areas with abnormal cell growth in your mouth.

The United States of America alone, accounts for more than 48,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx and oral cavity, with over 9,000 deaths recorded every year. It is unfortunate that the diagnosis for this oral cancer relies solely on the patient’s willingness to present himself/herself for physical examination or oral cancer screening. This could be accompanied by biopsy confirmation which, in turn, could lead to delay in diagnosing the ailment.

This has led to intense research by scientists to find out who tends to get oral cancer as well as the things we eat or do which may bring about the dreaded disease. When this information is submitted to medical practitioners, they are in the best position to analyze the information and recommend the patient to undergo oral cancer screening. The data will also help them determine which screening tests the patient should undergo as well as how regularly these tests should be performed.

Up until this moment, no single oral test is powerful enough to minimize the risk of dying of cancer of the oral cavity. This means that it is left to you and your dentist to decide whether or not, you should undergo a special test or oral cancer screening based on your genetic makeup or personal history.

Preventing oral cancer is possible if you are well-informed about your risk factors. Individuals that smoke, drink alcoholic beverages excessively and have a poor diet are more likely to develop oral cancer.

If you have also had oral cancer before, the chances of a recurrence are very high. Therefore, you need to continuously visit your local dentist and perform oral cancer screening from time to time in order to prevent a relapse.