The Importance of Oral Health and Oral Cancer Screening in Alamo Ranch

Your mouth. You use it to bite and chew your food, speak, and smile on a daily basis. But if something goes wrong with your oral health, it can have a much more significant impact than on just your mouth. In fact, it can even lead to a life-and-death situation. For instance, did you know that oral cancer kills one person in the United States every hour every day? Learn more about how your oral health can affect your overall health and why your dental checkups and cleanings are critical for an oral cancer screening in Alamo Ranch.

Does your oral health impact your overall well-being?

Daily oral hygiene and visiting the dentist twice a year for checkups and cleanings help you maintain a healthy mouth. But can a condition in the mouth really impact the rest of your body? Check out this video:

Your mouth is filled with bacteria. If you don’t keep these bacteria under control through healthy oral practices, they can spread to other parts of the body and potentially cause health problems. In the case of oral cancer, cancerous cells that occur in or around the mouth can metastasize to other organs, making treatment and survival much more difficult.

What is an oral cancer screening?

At every dental checkup and cleaning appointment, your dentist in Alamo Ranch performs an oral cancer screening, a visual and tactile exam to check for signs of oral cancer. It takes only a couple of minutes and is completely pain free. The dentist starts by inspecting your gums, tongue, and the soft and hard tissues in your mouth, paying particular attention to the back portions of your mouth, where signs of oral cancer are common. Then, they gently feel your jaw for any unusual bumps or lumps. Should they find anything concerning, they will refer you to a doctor for additional tests.

Why are regular oral cancer screenings important?

As with many other cancers and diseases, early detection plays a huge role in the chances of successfully overcoming oral cancer. Although the general likelihood of surviving oral cancer is barely over half, those odds jump up to 90 percent when it is found and treated during the early stages of development. By going to your dental checkup and cleaning appointment every six months and getting this oral cancer screening, you are more likely to catch this and other oral problems early on when they are easier to address. Who knows? Your routine visit to the dentist could save your life!

In the end, you need to take your oral health seriously because it can impact your well-being and quality of life. Getting a regular dental checkup and cleaning allows you to also have an oral cancer screening on a regular basis, helping to ensure your good health for many years to come. Schedule your checkup to get your oral cancer screening today!

About the Practice

At Alamo Springs Dental, patients in the Alamo Ranch and Helotes areas in San Antonio benefit from having two experienced, talented dentists for their oral care. Dr. Michele Moreno and Dr. Aiyana Zenobia Anderson have years of dental expertise and focus on helping patients have greater oral health in their treatment. Whether for a simple dental checkup or for more complex dental work like oral surgery, these practitioners can meet every dental need. To schedule an appointment with them, you can call (210) 463-9339 or click here.