818 Pine-A Grove Dr, Wilmington, NC 28409
Oral Cancer Screenings at Mast Dental
At Mast Dental, we care about more than your teeth. We care about your overall health, and that means taking oral cancer screening seriously at every single visit.
In the United States, one person dies from oral cancer every hour. It's a sobering statistic and one that doesn't need to be that high. Oral cancer has a cure rate of more than 80 percent when detected and treated early. The reason mortality rates remain elevated is not that the disease is undetectable — it's that most patients are never properly screened. Too many diagnoses come too late, when treatment becomes significantly more difficult and outcomes far less predictable.
At Mast Dental, we perform a thorough oral cancer screening as part of every comprehensive exam. Using advanced screening technology, Dr. Mast examines the oral tissues carefully to identify any abnormalities that warrant further evaluation. The screening takes just a few minutes and it's one of the most important things we do for our patients.
Schedule Your Exam and Screening Today
Why Oral Cancer Screening Matters
Oral cancer is particularly dangerous because it often develops in areas that aren't immediately visible beneath the tongue, in the floor of the mouth, along the cheek lining, on the soft palate and in its earliest stages, it frequently causes no pain or obvious symptoms. Patients often don't notice anything is wrong until the disease has already progressed to a more advanced stage.
This is precisely why routine dental visits are so critical. Dr. Mast has the training, the technology, and the clinical experience to identify subtle changes in oral tissue that a patient would never notice on their own. What takes just minutes during your checkup could identify a problem at the stage when it is most treatable — and when treatment is most likely to be successful.
Prevention is always our preferred approach at Mast Dental. In the case of oral cancer, catching it early isn't just the better option. It's often the difference between a straightforward treatment and a fight for your life.
Symptoms of Oral Cancer You Should Never Ignore
One of the challenges of oral cancer is that early symptoms are often subtle and easily dismissed. If you experience any of the following, especially if they persist for more than two weeks, contact us immediately and schedule an evaluation:
- Unexplained bleeding in the mouth
- Numbness, loss of feeling, or persistent pain in any area of the mouth, face, or neck
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or moving the jaw or tongue
- Ear pain without an apparent cause
- A persistent sore throat or hoarseness that doesn't resolve
- White, red, or speckled patches anywhere in the mouth
- Swelling, thickening, lumps, bumps, rough patches, or unexplained growths inside the mouth or on the lips
- A sore that bleeds easily or does not heal within two weeks
- A feeling that something is caught in the throat
These symptoms do not always indicate cancer, but they always warrant professional evaluation. Don't wait to see if they go away.
What Happens During an Oral Cancer Screening at Mast Dental
Our oral cancer screening is integrated into your comprehensive dental exam and adds only a few minutes to your visit. Here's what it involves:
Visual Examination
Physical Palpation
Advanced Screening Technology
Areas Most Commonly Affected by Oral Cancer
Oral cancer can develop anywhere in the oral cavity, but the most commonly affected areas include:
- The front two-thirds of the tongue
- The lining of the cheeks and lips
- The floor of the mouth beneath the tongue
- The roof of the mouth
- The gum tissue
- The small area behind the wisdom teeth
- The minor salivary glands
While many of these areas are visible during a standard examination, detecting the very beginnings of abnormal tissue changes requires more than a quick visual check. Our advanced oral cancer screening technology allows Dr. Mast to identify concerning tissue changes at their earliest stage before they become visible to the naked eye.
Oral Cancer Screenings Near You in Wilmington, NC
Mast Dental is located at 818-A Pine Grove Drive in Wilmington, NC, serving patients throughout Wilmington, Ogden, Porters Neck, Masonboro, Monkey Junction, and surrounding communities. Early morning appointments are available starting at 7:30 AM Monday through Friday.
Oral cancer screening is included as part of every comprehensive exam at our office. If you're due for a checkup or if you've noticed any unusual changes in your mouth, call (910) 397-9277 or request an appointment online today.