The Smile Daily

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month — a good time to know the warning signs and understand how a simple screening can catch this disease early.

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Oral Cancer Statistics

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, over 60,000 Americans and 450,000 people worldwide will be diagnosed with Oropharyngeal or Oral Cancer in 2026. Early detection significantly increases survival rates, making awareness and prevention your best defense. Men are twice as likely to have oral cancer as women, but several other factors raise anyone’s risk:

• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Diet deficiency
• Certain viral infections

Routine dental exams remain one of the best screening opportunities available, since many of these risk factors don't come with obvious warning signs on their own.

Contact Norge Dental Center to schedule your dental checkup and oral cancer screening.

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What Happens During an Oral Cancer Screening 

During a routine dental exam, your doctor or dental hygienist will perform a complete oral cancer screening. We’ll discuss any risk factors and relevant health history, then examine all soft tissues of the mouth — including the tongue and external lymph nodes around the oral cavity and neck. In some cases, we may use a Velscope as an advanced visualization tool that uses natural tissue fluorescence to identify oral abnormalities not visible to the naked eye. If something concerning is found, brush cytology or an oral brush biopsy may be used to investigate further.

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Warning Signs to Watch For

We encourage our patients to do self-screenings at home as well. It is important to recognize healthy tissues while also being aware of any changes in appearance. 

Checkyourmouth.org is a helpful resource for learning how to do an oral self-exam.

It’s also important to understand Oral cancer symptoms.

Symptoms of this cancer may include: 

• Red or white patches
• Persistent pain
• Lumps or thickened tissues
• Numbness in or around the mouth
• Difficulty swallowing, speaking, or moving the tongue. 
• If you notice any of these, mention it to your dentist — even if there's no visible change to go along with it.

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Schedule Your Oral Cancer Screening in Williamsburg, VA

At Norge Dental Center, we focus on education and prevention first — but if a diagnosis does happen, we're prepared to help you navigate the best treatment options. In recognition of Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we encourage all our patients to contact us and schedule a screening today.