Oral Cancer Screening Service Etobicoke

Your Etobicoke, ON dentist offers oral cancer screenings for early detection

sherway dentistry

At Sherway Dental in Etobicoke, ON, preventative dental care is the cornerstone of our practice. We help patients achieve and maintain oral health through a variety of preventative services such as routine exams and cleanings, x-rays, and oral cancer screenings. Oral cancer screenings are a quick and painless way for us to identify early signs of cancer when they are more easily treated. Below, we’ll take a look at how easy and important oral cancer screenings are.

Importance of early detection

It is estimated that in 2020, nearly 5,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with oral cancer and of those diagnosed, 1,500 will die from the disease. Early diagnosis through routine screening is an important factor when it comes to surviving the disease.

Risk factors for oral cancer

Tobacco use is the number one risk factor for oral cancer, but it is not the only one. Other risk factors include:

Family history
Age
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Alcohol consumption
Poor oral health
Previous cancers

Signs of oral cancer

During an oral cancer screening, we will examine the entire oral cavity, face, and neck looking for early signs of the disease. These are some symptoms you can watch out for at home:

Chronic mouth sores that do not heal
Change in texture or color of the gum tissue
Bumps in gum tissue
Persistent sore throat
Unexplained bleeding
Unexplained weight loss

Call Our Office More Information

416.639.2546

or Appointment

Performing oral cancer screenings

Oral cancer screenings are done during your routine dental check-up. At Sherway Dental, we use VELscope, which has changed the game when it comes to early detection of oral cancer. The blue light examination lamp allows us to identify precancerous and cancerous changes more clearly in the soft tissue that can be difficult to see with the naked eye. With VELscope, the healthy areas of the tissue appear green while the problem areas appear a much darker color.

Protect your future health with oral cancer screenings

Routine oral cancer screenings are a great way to protect the oral health that you are working so hard to achieve. If you would like to learn more about them, please call us at 416.639.2546.