A Quick Exam That Could Save Your Life
Oral cancer screening is one of the most important — and most overlooked — parts of a dental visit. At Shield Dental Care in Burke, VA, every comprehensive exam includes a thorough oral cancer screening, because early detection is the single most important factor in successful treatment.
The screening takes just a few minutes, involves no discomfort, and could catch something that changes everything.
Why Oral Cancer Screenings Matter
The numbers are sobering. According to the American Cancer Society:
- Approximately 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer each year
- Oral cancer causes roughly 11,000 deaths per year in the U.S.
- The 5-year survival rate is 84% when cancer is detected early and localized — but drops to 39% when diagnosed at a late stage
The difference between early and late detection is often the difference between a minor procedure and life-threatening illness. Yet many patients don’t receive regular screenings because they don’t know to ask for them.
At Shield Dental Care, you don’t have to ask. It’s part of every exam.
What Happens During an Oral Cancer Screening?
During your screening, Dr. Ghorbani or one of our clinicians will:
- Visually examine your lips, gums, tongue (top, bottom, and sides), floor of the mouth, roof of the mouth, inner cheeks, and the back of your throat
- Physically palpate your jaw, neck, and under your chin to check for unusual lumps, swelling, or asymmetry
- Note any abnormalities including white patches (leukoplakia), red patches (erythroplakia), sores that haven’t healed, unusual texture changes, or areas of thickening
If anything looks concerning, we’ll discuss it with you immediately and recommend next steps, which may include monitoring the area, a biopsy, or a referral to a specialist.
The entire screening takes less than five minutes and is completely painless.
Risk Factors for Oral Cancer
While oral cancer can affect anyone, certain factors increase your risk:
- Tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, snuff) — the #1 risk factor
- Heavy alcohol consumption — especially combined with tobacco use
- HPV infection (human papillomavirus, particularly HPV-16) — increasingly the leading cause of oropharyngeal cancers in younger adults
- Prolonged sun exposure — increases risk of lip cancer
- Age — risk increases significantly after age 45
- Gender — men are roughly twice as likely as women to develop oral cancer
- Poor nutrition — diets low in fruits and vegetables may increase risk
- Previous oral cancer diagnosis — significantly increases risk of recurrence
Even if none of these apply to you, regular screening is still recommended. A growing percentage of oral cancer cases occur in patients with no traditional risk factors.
Early Detection Saves Lives
Oral cancer is highly treatable when caught early. The challenge is that early-stage oral cancer often presents with symptoms that are easy to ignore — a small sore, a patch of discoloration, a slightly rough area of tissue. These changes don’t typically cause pain in the early stages, which is why many cases aren’t caught until the disease has advanced.
Regular professional screening catches what you might miss at home. It’s a simple step that takes minutes but provides peace of mind — and potentially, a life-saving early diagnosis.
How Often Should You Be Screened?
We recommend an oral cancer screening at every six-month dental exam. If you have additional risk factors — particularly tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, or a history of HPV — more frequent screening may be appropriate.
Between dental visits, you can perform a self-check at home by looking for any changes in your mouth’s normal appearance: new sores, color changes, lumps, or areas that don’t heal within two weeks. If you notice anything unusual, don’t wait for your next scheduled visit — call us right away.
Schedule Your Screening
Oral cancer screening is quick, painless, and included in every comprehensive exam at Shield Dental Care. There’s no reason to skip it — and every reason to prioritize it.
Schedule your exam and screening in Burke, VA, or call 703-250-5072.
Regular screenings are a core part of our preventive dentistry services — because protecting your health means looking beyond just your teeth.