Oral cancer screening is a standard part of your routine dental exam at Sahara Family Dentistry. It takes a few minutes and happens during the same appointment as your cleaning and checkup.
What we look for
We check the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, palate, and throat for:
- Unusual sores or lesions that don’t heal
- Red or white patches
- Lumps or thickening of tissue
- Numbness or tenderness with no clear cause
Most findings are benign. If something looks unusual, we’ll recommend a follow-up or biopsy to rule out anything serious.
Who should be screened
Everyone. Oral cancer affects people who have never smoked. That said, tobacco use — including smokeless tobacco — significantly raises the risk. So does heavy alcohol use, HPV, and prolonged sun exposure to the lips.
Annual screenings are especially important if you:
- Smoke or use tobacco in any form
- Drink heavily on a regular basis
- Have had oral cancer before
- Have a family history of head or neck cancer
Why early detection matters
Oral cancer caught early is far more treatable than cancer found at a later stage. A two-minute check during your routine visit is one of the simplest things we can do to look out for your long-term health.
Schedule a visit in Spring Valley
Call Sahara Family Dentistry at (702) 871-4990 or request an appointment online. We see patients from Spring Valley, Winchester, Chinatown, The Lakes, Central Las Vegas, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson.