There is more to a routine dental exam than just checking for cavities and cleaning your teeth. Your dentist will also look closely at your lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, and other areas of your mouth for changes that could be easy to miss on your own. This part of the appointment usually does not take long, but it gives the dental team an opportunity to notice something that might need a closer look.
You also do not need to wait until you notice a sore or unusual spot to have an oral cancer screening. At Imagine Dentistry, the screening is included as part of routine cleaning and exam appointments. That allows us to become familiar with what is normal for your mouth and compare what we see from one visit to the next.
What Happens During an Oral Cancer Screening
This screening starts as part of your routine teeth cleaning appointment, when your hygienist takes a close look at the soft tissue in your mouth. That includes your lips, inner cheeks, gums, tongue, and the roof and floor of your mouth, along with a gentle feel of your neck and jaw area. Most of this happens while you’re already leaned back for your cleaning, so it rarely adds extra time to your appointment, and your hygienist will let you know exactly what they are checking as they go.
If your hygienist notices anything that looks different from your last visit, Dr. Coambs will take a closer look during that same appointment. This team approach means two sets of trained eyes check your mouth at every visit, and most of what comes up is minor and easily explained.
Why This Quick Check Matters
Oral cancer often develops without pain or other obvious symptoms in its early stages, which is part of why routine screenings matter even when you feel completely fine. In 2024, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research reported that an estimated 65,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with head and neck cancers that year, a group that includes cancers affecting the mouth and throat.
Catching changes early gives you more treatment options and, in many cases, leads to a better outcome overall. That’s exactly why we build this check into every periodic exam and cleaning instead of treating it as something separate you would need to schedule on your own, and why we take even small changes seriously.
What Your Hygienist and Dentist Look For
Before your screening begins, your hygienist will walk you through what to expect so nothing feels unfamiliar. During the exam, our team looks closely for changes in your mouth, lips, and neck, such as:
- Sores that have not healed within two weeks
- Discoloration, including red or white patches on the gums, tongue, or inside of the cheeks
- Lumps or thickened tissue anywhere in the mouth or along the neck
- Numbness in the lips, tongue, or other areas of the mouth
- Difficulty with chewing, swallowing, or moving the jaw or tongue
If any of these show up between visits, that’s your cue to reach out to your hygienist or Dr. Coambs, rather than waiting for your next scheduled cleaning.
Who Should Get an Oral Cancer Screening?
Every patient who visits Imagine Dentistry for a cleaning or exam receives this same careful check, regardless of age or medical history. Certain habits, including tobacco use and heavy alcohol use, are associated with higher risk, but oral cancer can affect people without those risk factors too, which is exactly why we do not limit this screening to certain patients or age groups.
Finding something unusual during a screening does not mean it is cancer. Depending on what the area looks like, the next step could involve monitoring it for changes or referring you to a specialist for further evaluation. Dr. Coambs can explain what she sees, why it might need additional attention, and what she recommends doing next. This gives you the information you need to understand the finding and what should happen from there.
Keep Your Oral Cancer Screening on Schedule at Imagine Dentistry
You do not need to schedule a separate visit for an oral cancer screening at Imagine Dentistry. Dr. Ann Blaine Coambs includes this check as part of routine cleaning and exam appointments, giving her an opportunity to look for changes each time you come in. For patients without dental insurance, our membership plan also includes an oral cancer screening with every cleaning.
If you are due for your next cleaning and exam, schedule your visit with Imagine Dentistry. Keeping up with these routine appointments gives us a chance to check your teeth and gums and to pay attention to changes elsewhere in your mouth that might need a closer look.
