One of the services that dental professionals offer is an Oral Cancer Screening in Vancouver WA. This type of testing is not something to be considered optional. In fact, just about everyone should have it done at least a few times over the years. For some people, having regular screenings is especially important. Here are some examples.
Family Medical History
If other family members dealt with cancer of any type in the past, there is some evidence that the patient is at greater risk. Along with the cancer screenings done by the family physician, it never hurts to talk with the dentist about an Oral Cancer Screening in Vancouver WA. While the odds of developing this type of cancer are small, knowing nothing is present will provide a relief to anyone who has seen a family member deal with this disease in any form.
Personal Medical History
The patient did have cancer several years ago. Fortunately, the condition was identified before the tumor could begin to metastasize and it was removed. A follow-up series of radiation treatments led to a clean bill of health. Even so, the fact that the patient did have cancer at one time does increase the potential for cancer to develop elsewhere in the body. Having the oral screening will ensure that if anything does develop, it will also be found in the early stages and treatment can begin at once.
Lifestyle
Personal choices about lifestyle can increase the risk of any type of cancer. This includes people who choose to use tobacco products or those who ingest anything that is known to contain higher levels of carcinogens. While choosing to discard those habits will lower the odds of developing cancer, they are not eliminated altogether. For this reason, having a screening at least once a year is a wise move.
For anyone who has not had an oral screening in some time, today is the day to call the team at Lewis Family Dentistry. The screening is not difficult to manage and will not take a long time. What it will do is provide peace of mind when it is clear that the patient does not have oral cancer. You can also visit them on Facebook for more information.
