This article describes the importance of regular oral cancer screenings, what the examination itself involves and what patients can expect should anything suspicious be identified.

With all the devastating news and statistics about breast, stomach, colon, pancreatic, bone marrow and prostate cancer, it can be quite easy to forget about the health of your mouth… and this has little to do with regular brushing or flossing. An oral cancer screening in Fort Lauderdale is one of those medical commitments that every person should mark down in their calendar every one to two years. Oral cancer is not just limited to the tongue and soft tissues inside the mouth; in fact, during a thorough screening, the dentist in Fort Lauderdale will also carefully inspect the lips, the lining of the cheeks, the larynx, palate and neck. Any abnormalities or irregularities will be further investigated to either rule out oral cancer, or to enable you to begin treatment at an early stage, thus ensuring a maximum chance for complete recovery. In addition, the dentist in Fort Lauderdale uses a three wave-length light that was developed by the MD Anderson Center Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. It enables the dentist to see through tissue for a painless examination.

Oral Cancer Screening in Fort Lauderdale: Assessing Your Risk

Admittedly, oral cancer is not high up on the list of things to worry about in our rather hectic day-to-day lives. But there are factors that place certain people at a much higher risk than others. And for these people, going for an oral cancer screening in Fort Lauderdale should be a priority concern. Some of these factors cannot be helped, such as your genetic heritage and having a family history of oral cancer. But others can and these include tobacco smoking/chewing and regular excessive alcohol consumption. Either way, avoiding the devastating circumstance of developing such a severe and life-threatening illness requires preventative care that begins with the right lifestyle habits and choices and ends with an oral cancer screening in Fort Lauderdale.

What Happens if the Dentist in Fort Lauderdale Discovers Something?

The whole idea behind going for an oral cancer screening in Fort Lauderdale is to diagnose the threatening condition in its early stages; before it poses a significant risk. It is for this reason that the dentist in Fort Lauderdale recommends screenings once every one to two years and perhaps even more frequently for smokers, who are at a much greater risk. What you shouldn’t do is avoid this examination out of a fear for what the dentist may find. Most of the time, abnormalities identified during an oral cancer screening in Fort Lauderdale are harmless or benign. Should anything suspicious be spotted, the dentist will biopsy the lump, lesion or discoloration and send the tissue off to the lab for testing. You will be notified of the results.

A Final Note on Oral Cancer Screening in Fort Lauderdale

While this process can be terrifying, what you need to focus on is that if anything malignant was diagnosed during your oral cancer screening in Fort Lauderdale, chances are it has been caught at a stage during which it is readily treatable. It’s in cases where people ignore visible and persistent oral complaints that the treatment required becomes far more extreme and the chance of survival, slimmer. Never ignore a lesion, chronic sore, ulcer, lump or discoloration. Lives have literally been saved through early diagnosis thanks to an oral cancer screening in Fort Lauderdale.

This article explains the importance of lifelong oral health and hygiene in the prevention of tooth loss caused by bacterial infection and decay.

Too many people take their teeth for granted. And as strong and invulnerable as your pearly whites may seem, they simply cannot withstand decades of neglect. A diet that is high in sugar, poor oral hygiene and habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can all result in the suite of oral conditions and diseases that lead directly to tooth loss, says this Fort Lauderdale dentist. But you don’t even need to commit the top dental sins to suffer from tooth loss later on in life. Some patients are genetically predisposed to periodontal (gum) disease and oral cancer, says the Fort Lauderdale dentist. What you absolutely want to avoid is finding out the hard way just how vulnerable your teeth are to poor lifelong oral hygiene and certain habits. Preventing tooth loss is a lifelong exercise that should start as soon as your adult teeth emerge in your late childhood.

Fort Lauderdale Dentistry: A Guide to Preventative Oral Healthcare

There is no better approach to healthcare than a preventative one. And this starts by following a rigorous home oral hygiene routine, says the Fort Lauderdale dentist:

Another fundamental component of preventative Fort Lauderdale dentistry is regular visits to the dentist and oral hygienist! Even if you maintain a strict home oral hygiene routine, your teeth and gums are still vulnerable to bacteria, decay and physical trauma. You may have a surface cavity or localized infection that you’re completely unaware of. Only the skilled and experienced eye of the Fort Lauderdale dentist can make that diagnosis and recommend treatment before mild problems such as these escalate out of control. You should be going for check-ups once every six months, according to Fort Lauderdale dentistry guidelines.

Fort Lauderdale Dentistry: Habits to Avoid and Habits to Adopt

In conjunction with a thorough home oral hygiene routine and keeping regular visits to the Fort Lauderdale dentist, you should take care to avoid the following habits:

And you should try your best to make the following positive lifestyle changes:

A Final Note on these Fort Lauderdale Dentistry Guidelines

By following these healthcare guidelines every day, there is no reason why you can’t enter into your late adulthood with all of your original adult teeth. Healthy teeth and gums make for a beautiful smile and fresh breath; and let’s not forget all that money saved on expensive restorative dental procedures and surgery, adds this Fort Lauderdale dentist.