Oral Cancer Screening in Stafford, VA: Early Detection at Your Dental Checkup

An oral cancer screening in Stafford, VA takes only a few minutes, and it is one of the most valuable parts of a routine dental visit. Oral cancer can develop on the lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, floor of the mouth, or throat, and early changes are often small and not painful. That is why they are easy to miss at home. At Rai Family Dentistry, adult patients are screened as part of their regular checkups, whether or not they have any known risk factors.

The screening is a visual and tactile exam, which simply means your dentist looks and feels. Dr. Shivaprasanna Rai and Dr. Paulina Oldland know what healthy tissue looks like and, because many of our patients have been coming here for years, they can compare what they see today with what they saw at earlier visits. Anything unusual is noted, measured, and discussed with you right away in plain language.

Between checkups, let us know promptly if you notice any of the following:

• A sore, ulcer, or irritated spot that has not healed within two weeks
• A red, white, or mixed red-and-white patch inside your mouth
• A lump, thickened area, or rough spot on the lips, gums, cheek, or tongue
• Numbness, pain, or tenderness in the mouth or lips with no obvious cause
• Trouble chewing, swallowing, or moving your tongue or jaw, or a lasting hoarse voice

During the screening itself, your dentist starts by looking at your face, lips, and neck. Next comes the inside of the mouth: the cheeks, gums, roof and floor of the mouth, and the top, sides, and underside of the tongue, which you will be asked to stick out and move from side to side. Your dentist then gently feels along the jaw, under the chin, and down the neck for lumps or swollen nodes. If you wear a denture or partial, you will be asked to remove it first. Nothing about the exam hurts, and most people barely notice it happening.

If something looks suspicious, do not panic. Many spots turn out to be harmless irritation from a sharp tooth or a bitten cheek. Your dentist may ask you to return in about two weeks to see whether the area has healed. If it has not, or if it looks concerning from the start, we will refer you for a biopsy, since examining a tissue sample is the only way to know for certain what a spot is.

You can lower your risk and help with early detection:

• Avoid tobacco in every form, including smokeless products
• Limit alcohol, especially in combination with tobacco
• Use a lip balm with sunscreen when you are outdoors
• Look inside your own mouth about once a month for anything new
• Keep regular dental checkups so changes are caught early

Because the screening is part of your exam, it is typically handled the same way as the checkup itself. We accept most PPO dental insurance plans and file claims for you. For any other care you may need, financing is offered through CareCredit, Alphaeon Credit, and Cherry payment plans.

Rai Family Dentistry is at 239 Garrisonville Rd, Suite 102, minutes from I-95 with free on-site parking, and serves Stafford, Aquia Harbour, Garrisonville, Falmouth, and Fredericksburg. If you are due for a checkup or worried about a spot in your mouth, call (540) 657-0867 or book online.