At Gateway Family Dentistry, we detect oral cancer early through routine checkups, making this potentially fatal disease highly treatable with our comprehensive support and advanced treatment options.
Here at Gateway Family Dentistry, we're here for our patients when they have oral cancer. Though oral cancer can be fatal, early detection makes it highly treatable. That's why routine dental checkups are essential—they allow us to screen your mouth for cancer.
Oral cancer typically appears as white or red patches or lesions in the mouth, including on the tongue and floor of your mouth. Some patients experience difficulty swallowing, bleeding in the mouth, or swelling. You may also notice facial swelling or a lump on your neck.
Since cancerous lesions can resemble mouth burns, we often monitor them to see if they resolve on their own. If they don't, we'll perform a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. Under sedation or anesthesia, we remove a tissue sample for a pathologist to examine under a microscope.
A cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but we'll support you every step of the way. Treatment typically involves surgery if the lesion is localized and removable. Otherwise, we usually recommend a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.
If you've received a cancer diagnosis or have questions about a potential lesion, contact us today at (480) 857-0745.
