Oral Cancer Screening in Chicago, IL
Few conditions affecting the mouth are as serious as oral cancer, yet few respond as dramatically to early detection: caught in its early stages, survival rates climb sharply. That is why Dr. Raffi performs a thorough oral cancer screening at Dr. Raffi General & Implant Dentistry, looking for abnormalities well before they turn dangerous. The exam is quick, painless, and easily folded into any routine visit. The Centers for Disease Control recommend an annual oral cancer screening for every patient over 17.
In its early stages, oral cancer often causes no pain and no obvious symptoms at all. A regular screening is the most reliable way to catch it while treatment is still most effective.
What it is
In just a quick, painless check, we examine the mouth, tongue, lips, cheeks, glands, and neck both visually and by touch. The aim is to catch any abnormalities, lesions, or signs of oral cancer at the earliest possible stage.
Who it's for
Screening is for all adults. The CDC recommends it every year for everyone over 17, and those with risk factors (tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, HPV, sun exposure, family history) have all the more reason to stay vigilant.
How we help
During your regular visit, and in only a few minutes, we combine a careful visual examination, palpation of the mouth and neck, and specialized light technology that brings abnormalities below the surface into view.
Catching it early saves lives. Book your oral cancer screening today.
Oral Cancer: The Facts
- Over 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer every year
- Approximately one person dies every hour from oral cancer in the United States
- The five-year survival rate is approximately 50%, higher than cervical or prostate cancer mortality
- When detected early, survival rates improve significantly
- In its earliest stages, oral cancer is often painless and invisible to the naked eye
- Treatment for advanced oral cancer (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) is disfiguring and expensive. Early detection is critical
Risk Factors
- Tobacco: Smoking, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco all significantly increase risk
- Alcohol: Heavy or frequent alcohol consumption, especially combined with tobacco use
- HPV: Human papillomavirus (especially HPV-16) is increasingly linked to oropharyngeal cancers
- Sun exposure: Prolonged UV exposure increases the risk of lip cancer
- Age: Risk increases with age, though HPV-related cancers are rising in younger adults
- Family history: A personal or family history of cancer increases risk
Warning Signs to Watch For
- White, red, or mixed-color patches inside the mouth
- A sore or ulcer that doesn't heal within 2 weeks
- Unexplained lumps, bumps, or thickening in the mouth, lip, or throat
- Persistent sore throat, hoarseness, or difficulty swallowing
- Numbness in the tongue, lip, or other areas of the mouth
- If you notice any of these signs, schedule an appointment immediately rather than waiting for your next regular visit
A few minutes of screening could be the thing that saves your life. Make it a standing part of your annual dental visit.
What to Expect at Your Visit
The Screening Process
- Visual exam: Dr. Raffi examines the lips, cheeks, tongue, floor of the mouth, gums, and throat for any abnormalities
- Physical exam: The tongue, lips, cheeks, face, glands, and neck are gently palpated to check for lumps or swelling
- Light technology: A special laser or light may be used to detect abnormalities below the skin's surface
- Duration: The entire screening takes just a few minutes and is completely painless
- Next steps: If anything unusual is found, Dr. Raffi may recommend a biopsy for definitive diagnosis
Prevention Tips
- Don't use tobacco, the single greatest risk factor for oral cancer
- Limit alcohol, since heavy drinking significantly increases risk, especially combined with tobacco
- Protect your lips by using lip balm with SPF when spending time outdoors
- Eat a healthy diet, since fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that may help prevent cancer
- Get screened annually, since early detection is the most important factor in successful treatment
- Oral cancer can occur in anyone, even those with no known risk factors
Frequently Asked Questions
The CDC recommends an oral cancer screening once a year for every adult over 17. Because the exam is quick and painless, it fits naturally into a routine checkup, so you likely will not need a separate visit for it.
If you have risk factors such as tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, or a history of HPV, more frequent screening may make sense. Dr. Raffi can set the right schedule for you at either of our Chicago and Bourbonnais, IL offices.
Not at all. An oral cancer screening is completely painless. It combines a visual look at the soft tissues of your mouth with gentle pressure, or palpation, along the mouth and neck to feel for anything unusual.
The whole thing wraps up in just a few minutes and slots right into a routine dental visit, with nothing more invasive than a careful look and a light touch.
Finding something unusual during an oral cancer screening is not a diagnosis, and it is often nothing serious. Dr. Raffi will walk you through what was seen and recommend a next step, which might be watchful monitoring, additional imaging, or a biopsy to identify exactly what it is.
Many of the spots and lesions that turn up prove to be harmless. The value of the screening is that it flags anything worth a closer look early, when there are the most options and the best outcomes.
Not every case can be prevented, but you can meaningfully lower your risk and improve the odds of early detection. The steps that make the biggest difference include:
- Avoiding tobacco in every form
- Limiting alcohol, especially in combination with tobacco
- Protecting your lips from sun exposure with an SPF lip balm
- Keeping up with annual oral cancer screenings
Together these habits both reduce your risk and help ensure that anything suspicious is caught at its earliest, most treatable stage.
Yes, absolutely. Tobacco is the single largest risk factor for oral cancer, but it is far from the only one, and the disease can develop in people who have never smoked a day in their lives.
HPV-related oral cancers in particular are on the rise, often in younger adults who carry none of the traditional risk factors. Because oral cancer does not check your history before it appears, an annual screening is recommended for every adult, smoker or not.
In most cases, an oral cancer screening is folded into your routine dental exam and covered by insurance, since it is part of a comprehensive checkup rather than a separate procedure. If a biopsy or additional testing becomes necessary, coverage for that varies from plan to plan.
Our team verifies your benefits and explains any expected cost clearly before you proceed, and you are always welcome to ask about this at our Chicago and Bourbonnais, IL offices.
Beating oral cancer starts with catching it early. Book your screening today.
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Visit Dr. Raffi General & Implant Dentistry
Chicago Office
6215 W Touhy Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
Bourbonnais Office
876 N Convent St
Bourbonnais, IL 60914