Oral Cancer Screening in Evanston, IL
Few conditions affecting the mouth are as serious as oral cancer, yet survival rates climb dramatically when it is caught early. That is why the American Dental Association recommends a thorough head, neck, and mouth exam at every regular dental visit, and why Dr. Andre Amarante builds one into your checkup at Way Dental. Because the exam takes only a few minutes and involves nothing more than a visual and physical check, it fits easily into any routine visit.
Because oral cancer frequently causes no pain or symptoms in its early stages, regular screenings remain the best way to catch it while treatment is most effective.
What it is
A quick visual and physical exam of the mouth, tongue, lips, cheeks, glands, and neck, looking for lesions, abnormalities, or any early sign of oral cancer at the most treatable stage.
Who it's for
Every adult. The ADA recommends an oral cancer screening as part of every regular dental visit, and vigilance matters most for anyone carrying risk factors such as tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, HPV, sun exposure, or family history.
How we help
In just a few minutes during your regular visit, we combine a thorough visual examination of the mouth and throat with palpation of the neck and jaw, checking for lesions, lumps, or any other abnormality.
The earlier it is found, the more lives are saved. Schedule your oral cancer screening today.
Oral Cancer: The Facts
- Every year, more than 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer
- On average, one person dies every hour from oral cancer in the United States
- At roughly 50%, the five-year survival rate reflects a mortality higher than cervical or prostate cancer
- Caught early, survival rates improve significantly
- During its earliest stages, oral cancer is often painless and invisible to the naked eye
- Once oral cancer advances, treatment (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) becomes disfiguring and expensive, so early detection is critical
Risk Factors
- Tobacco: Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco each raise risk considerably
- Alcohol: Frequent or heavy drinking, particularly alongside tobacco use
- HPV: Human papillomavirus, HPV-16 in particular, is increasingly linked to oropharyngeal cancers
- Sun exposure: Extended UV exposure drives up the risk of lip cancer
- Age: Risk climbs as you get older, though HPV-related cancers are rising among younger adults
- Family history: A personal or family history of cancer adds to your risk
Warning Signs to Watch For
- Patches inside the mouth that appear white, red, or a mix of colors
- Any sore or ulcer that doesn't heal within 2 weeks
- Lumps, bumps, or thickening in the mouth, lip, or throat with no clear cause
- A lingering sore throat, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing
- Numbness in the tongue, lip, or anywhere else in the mouth
- Spot any of these signs and schedule an appointment immediately rather than waiting for your next regular visit
Just minutes at the chair could save your life. Make a screening part of your annual dental visit.
What to Expect at Your Visit
The Screening Process
- Visual exam: Dr. Andre Amarante looks over the lips, cheeks, tongue, floor of the mouth, gums, and throat for anything abnormal
- Physical exam: A gentle palpation of the tongue, lips, cheeks, face, glands, and neck checks for lumps or swelling
- Duration: Start to finish, the screening takes only a few minutes
- Next steps: Should anything unusual turn up, Dr. Andre Amarante may refer you for a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis
Prevention Tips
- Don't use tobacco, which remains the single greatest risk factor for oral cancer
- Limit alcohol, because heavy drinking sharply raises risk, especially paired with tobacco
- Protect your lips with an SPF lip balm whenever you spend time outdoors
- Eat a healthy diet, since the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables may help guard against cancer
- Get screened annually, because early detection matters more than anything to successful treatment
- Oral cancer can strike anyone, even people with no known risk factors
Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Andre Amarante includes an oral cancer screening as part of every regular checkup, so there is no separate visit to schedule. Oral cancer often produces no pain or obvious symptoms in its early stages, so a routine screening is how these changes get spotted early, while they are still highly treatable.
Some patients need to be screened more often. Risk factors like tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, a history of HPV, or significant sun exposure to the lips can call for closer monitoring, and Dr. Andre Amarante can set the right schedule for you based on your personal risk factors.
It is not an invasive procedure. It combines a visual examination of the lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, and throat with a gentle physical check of the tongue, face, glands, and neck, feeling for anything unusual.
The whole exam takes just a few minutes and fits easily into a routine dental visit, so there is nothing extra to schedule or prepare for. Many patients barely notice it happened, since it is folded right into your regular checkup.
Dr. Andre Amarante will explain exactly what was found and what it might mean. Many spots and lesions turn out to be harmless, caused by something as simple as minor irritation or a bite mark, and clear up on their own or with a small adjustment to your home care.
When something needs a closer look, the next step is usually to monitor the area over a short period or refer you for a biopsy so a specialist can confirm exactly what it is. Either way, catching something early and following up promptly is always the safest path, and we walk you through each step so you know what to expect.
Not every case of oral cancer can be prevented, but several habits meaningfully lower your risk. Avoiding tobacco products, limiting alcohol, protecting your lips from sun exposure, and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables all help reduce the chance that oral cancer develops.
Regular screenings matter just as much as prevention, since they catch the cancers that do develop while they are still small and highly treatable. Combining healthy habits with a yearly exam gives you the best odds of staying ahead of the disease.
Yes. Tobacco is the single biggest risk factor for oral cancer, but it is far from the only one. Oral cancer also affects people who have never smoked, and HPV-related oral cancers in particular are becoming more common among younger adults with none of the traditional risk factors.
Because early oral cancer often causes no pain or visible changes, a routine screening is how it typically gets caught before it advances, regardless of your lifestyle. We recommend regular screening for all adults, not just those who smoke or drink.
As part of your regular dental exam, an oral cancer screening is usually included and covered by insurance at no extra charge. Our Evanston, IL office checks your plan's specifics before any visit that includes additional testing, so you always know what to expect.
If a screening reveals something that needs a biopsy or further evaluation, coverage for that additional testing varies by plan. We verify your benefits ahead of time and give you clear cost information before any next steps, so cost is never a surprise.
Beating oral cancer starts with early detection. Schedule your screening today.