Oral Cancer Screenings

In five minutes or less a dentist is able to detect any abnormalities that could be oral cancer.

Tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption and even the Human PapillomaVirus can put you at risk for this type of cancer, but it’s not always the case.

"So, now people who you wouldn’t think of getting oral cancer are getting it," said Northpointe Dental Doctor Brian Waggle. "Younger people, people that don’t do tobacco or alcohol abuse for that matter are starting to get this problem."

If the cancer is caught in its early stages there’s a 90 percent success rate when it comes to beating the disease, detected later and the chances diminish. Dentists can detect any potential problems using a Velscope, which shines an LED light into the mouth.

"The light will emit throughout the mouth and if there is an area that does not reflect the light then that’s cause for concern and we want to take a good look at that," said Dr. Waggle.

If anyone would like to be screened for oral cancer Northpointe Dental is holding free screenings from 2pm-4pm on Thursday April 26th. They are also going to hold a shred it day at the same time, so that you can get rid of any personal documents, tax forms and receipts.