The Best Time to Find Oral Cancer Is Before You Know It Is There.
Oral cancer is highly treatable when caught early and almost always goes unnoticed until it has progressed past the earliest stage. Grand Prairie Family Dental, located in Grand Prairie TX, includes oral cancer screenings as a standard part of every comprehensive exam under Dr. Behrooz Khademazad, DDS, who has practiced at this location since August 28, 1988. His background in biochemistry means he evaluates soft tissue changes with a clinical depth most general dentistry exams do not reach.
If you have not had an oral cancer screening recently or are not sure whether one was included at your last exam, this is worth addressing at your next visit. Patients from High Hawk and Oak Hollow come to Grand Prairie Family Dental knowing the screening is already part of the appointment. Most say the peace of mind alone makes the visit worth scheduling.
What Oral Cancer Screening Involves
An oral cancer screening at Grand Prairie Family Dental takes only a few minutes and is completed as part of your routine comprehensive dental exam with no separate appointment needed. Dr. Khademazad visually examines the tongue, lips, cheeks, floor of the mouth, and throat for any abnormalities including unusual discoloration, lesions, or tissue changes. He also physically palpates the jaw, neck, and lymph nodes to check for swelling or irregularities that are not visible on the surface.
The American Dental Association identifies routine oral cancer screening as a critical component of the dental exam because early-stage lesions are almost always painless and invisible to the patient. Findings that warrant monitoring or follow-up are explained clearly before you leave so you know exactly what was found and what the next steps are.
Risk Factors for Oral Cancer
Oral cancer affects patients across all age groups and lifestyles. Some risk factors can be managed and others cannot, but knowing yours helps Dr. Khademazad evaluate your screening findings in the right clinical context. The most common risk factors include:
- Tobacco use in any form including cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco
- Heavy or frequent alcohol consumption, particularly in combination with tobacco
- Human papillomavirus infection, now identified as a leading cause in younger patients
- Prolonged sun exposure to the lips without protection
- A previous diagnosis of oral cancer or a family history of the condition
- Chronic irritation from poorly fitting dental appliances or ongoing trauma to soft tissue
Patients from Lake Parks and Indian Hills who have one or more of these risk factors benefit from a more detailed screening evaluation at each exam. Dr. Khademazad discusses your personal risk profile and documents any tissue changes over time so trends can be identified early.
Signs Worth Mentioning at Your Next Appointment
Most patients wait to mention soft tissue changes until they become painful or persistent. By that point the window for the simplest treatment has often passed. A sore or ulcer that has not healed within two weeks, a red or white patch anywhere in the mouth, a lump or rough spot on the lips or cheeks, persistent hoarseness or difficulty swallowing, unexplained numbness or tenderness, or bleeding that is not related to brushing are all worth raising at your next exam even if the symptom seems minor.
Patients from Nottingham Estates and Grand Prairie who mention these symptoms early give Dr. Khademazad the opportunity to evaluate, document, and monitor them before they require more involved treatment. Early documentation of a benign finding is always better than late discovery of a serious one.
