Oral Cancer Screening in Woodland Hills, CA
At West Hills Smiles in West Hills, CA near Woodland Hills, CA, we perform a thorough oral, head and neck examination at every appointment to determine if the signs of cancer or precancerous conditions are present in your mouth. The goal of an oral cancer examination is to identify oral cancer at an early stage, when there is a greater chance for a cure.
It’s a misconception that oral cancer is only present in those persons who smoke, drink, or chew tobacco. While these are risk factors for the development of oral cancer, it can occur in any individual. Those with a family history of cancer, who have had excessive sun exposure (especially at an early age), or carrying the human papillomavirus (HPV) are also at risk for oral cancer.
Oral Cancer Examination at West Hills Smiles
During an oral cancer screening, your Woodland Hills, CA dentist will first examine the inside of your mouth to check for mouth sores or red or white patches. Then, your dentist will feel for lumps or other abnormalities in the tissues in your mouth. If you wear removable dentures, either partial or complete, you’ll need to remove them for the oral cancer examination so that the tissues underneath can be checked.
An additional test that can be part of the oral cancer screening requires you to rinse your mouth with a special liquid. A special light is then shone into your mouth to look for abnormalities. Any problem areas will show up much darker than healthy ones. If any problems are suspected, your Woodland Hills dentist may recommend a follow-up visit or biopsy to determine whether or not oral cancer is present.
What Our Patients Think
The overall quality of your dental experience is very important to us.
This is THE place to go for your dental needs. You walk in and see their beautiful lobby that has a really big and soothing aquarium. They offer you snacks and drinks and the front desk girls always have a smile on their faces. The rooms are gorgeous! They even have those little cameras that take pictures of your teeth so you can see them (that was helpful because I had a crack on my tooth that I didn’t think it was a big deal until I saw it with the camera, ew!). The doctors are amazing. They didn’t try to sell me any treatment, but told me that their job was to educate me about oral health and my options, so I didn’t feel any pressure to proceed with anything I wasn’t comfortable with. I will come here for the rest of my life!
Just had work done by Dr. Mike Salekian today and was so impressed with how smoothly everything went!!!! I am usually terrified of the dentist (especially the numbing shots) but Dr. Mike was so gentle I honestly didn’t even feel him numbing me. He was very thorough at explaining everything so I felt comfortable the entire time. He is a very compassionate guy and truly cares about his patients. The assistant, Chris, is amazing too!! I highly recommend going to see them for any of your dental needs! You’ll be happy that you did! The front office is very accommodating when it comes to utilizing your insurance and making sure things are good on the financial side.
Recently, I was told I would be seeing a new dentist, Dr. Mike,by the excellent staff at West Hills Smile. After the first visit, I found Dr. Mike incredibly kind and very knowledgeable. We proceed with the treatment plan, and Dr. Mike continuously checked in while he was doing the procedure. Everything went fine, and it felt quick and painless. With the excellent care I received by Dr. Mike and continued support of the already great staff, I recommend this office. In my experience the staff is just as caring and willing to work with you as well. They go above and beyond, and really want to hear from you before a plan is in place, during your visit, and afterward if anything should pop up.