Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
An oral cancer screening in Pompano Beach at South Florida Smile Spa takes about two minutes, costs nothing extra as part of your exam, and is the single most important thing that happens at a dental visit that has nothing to do with your teeth. Oral and throat cancers are diagnosed in roughly 60,000 Americans a year, and the difference between a cancer found early and one found late is the difference between a small procedure and a life-changing one. Dr. Berger screens every adult patient at every exam. This page explains what she is looking for, who is at higher risk, what happens if she finds something, and the warning signs you should not wait on between visits.
Quick answer
An oral cancer screening is a visual and hands-on examination of the lips, tongue, floor of the mouth, cheeks, palate, gums, tonsils, throat and the lymph nodes of the neck, looking for sores that have not healed, red or white patches, lumps, thickened tissue and numbness. It is painless, takes about two minutes, and at South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach it is part of every dental exam, so most patients are screened twice a year without a separate appointment. Anything suspicious that is still there after two weeks is biopsied or referred promptly, because oral cancer found early has a five-year survival rate well above 80 percent, and found late, below 50.
The Screening
What happens during an oral cancer screening
The screening is done at the end of your exam, with nothing more than good light, a mirror, a piece of gauze and gloved hands. It is systematic, so nothing is skipped.
- History. Dr. Berger asks about tobacco and alcohol, any sore or patch you have noticed, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and a history of HPV or previous head and neck cancer.
- Outside the mouth. She looks at the face and lips for asymmetry, crusting or sores, and feels along the jaw and down both sides of the neck for enlarged or hard lymph nodes.
- Inside the mouth. With the gauze she gently draws the tongue out to inspect its sides and underside, where most tongue cancers start, then examines the floor of the mouth, the inside of the cheeks and lips, the hard and soft palate, the gums, the tonsils and the back of the throat.
- Palpation. She feels the tongue, floor of the mouth and cheeks between her fingers for lumps or firm areas that cannot be seen.
- Record and compare. Anything unusual is measured, photographed and noted, so at the next visit it can be compared rather than guessed at.
The American Dental Association’s patient page on oral cancer describes the same examination and notes that dentists are often the first to notice the signs.
Warning signs: what to watch for between visits
| Sign | What it can look or feel like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A sore that does not heal | An ulcer on the lip, tongue, gum or cheek that is still there after two weeks, especially if painless | Call for an exam; do not wait for the next cleaning |
| Red or white patches | A flat red area (erythroplakia) or a white patch that does not wipe off (leukoplakia), anywhere in the mouth | Have it checked; red patches in particular are biopsied |
| A lump or thickening | A firm area in the cheek, tongue, floor of the mouth, or a lump in the neck | Have it examined within days, not weeks |
| Numbness or pain | Numbness of the lip, chin or tongue; unexplained pain or persistent earache on one side | Exam plus imaging if needed |
| Trouble swallowing or speaking | A feeling of something caught in the throat, hoarseness lasting more than two weeks, loose teeth with no gum disease | Prompt exam and referral |
Risk Factors
Who is at higher risk, and why it is no longer only smokers
- Tobacco in any form. Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff. Smokeless tobacco causes cancer exactly where it sits in the cheek or lip.
- Alcohol, and especially alcohol combined with tobacco, which multiplies the risk rather than adding to it.
- HPV. The human papillomavirus is now the leading cause of cancers at the back of the throat and tonsils, often in non-smokers in their 40s and 50s. The HPV vaccine prevents the strains responsible.
- Sun exposure for lip cancer, which matters in South Florida: a lip balm with SPF is a real preventive measure here.
- Age and sex. Risk rises after 40 and men are affected about twice as often as women, though the HPV-related cancers are shifting both numbers.
- A previous oral cancer, a weakened immune system, or a diet low in fruit and vegetables.
Roughly a quarter of oral cancers occur in people with none of these risk factors, which is the argument for screening everyone, not just the obvious cases.
If Dr. Berger finds something
Most findings are not cancer. Cheek bites, denture sores, canker sores, burns from hot food, a harmless bony growth on the palate or jaw, and the lacy white pattern of lichen planus are all common, and most of them are recognizable on sight. When something is not clearly harmless, the first step is usually simple: remove any obvious cause, such as a sharp tooth edge or an ill-fitting denture, photograph and measure the area, and look again in two weeks. A lesion that has healed in that time was an injury. One that has not healed is biopsied without further delay, either here or through a direct referral to an oral surgeon, who takes a small sample under local anesthetic and sends it to an oral pathology laboratory. Results take about a week. If the diagnosis is cancer or a precancerous change, Dr. Berger coordinates the referral to a head and neck surgeon or oncology team in Broward County and stays involved in your dental care through treatment, because radiation and chemotherapy have their own effects on the mouth that need managing. Our oral pathology page describes biopsy and the conditions it diagnoses in more detail.
How often, and who should be screened
Every adult, at every exam. Because the screening is built into your cleaning and exam, most patients are screened twice a year without thinking about it, and patients who smoke, drink heavily or have had a previous lesion are seen more often. If you have not been to a dentist in years and you have any of the risk factors above, the screening alone is reason enough to book; it does not have to wait for a toothache. Teenagers and young adults are screened as part of their exams too, because HPV-related cancers are appearing in younger patients.
Lowering your risk
Stopping tobacco is the single largest change you can make, and the risk falls steadily over the years after quitting; ask us about help with that. Keep alcohol moderate. Use a lip balm with SPF 30 outdoors. Ask your physician about the HPV vaccine, which is recommended through age 26 and available up to 45. Eat fruit and vegetables. And keep your dental visits, because a two-minute exam twice a year is what turns oral cancer from a late diagnosis into an early one. Patients with dentures should take them out at night and have the tissue under them checked at every visit, since a denture can hide a lesion for months.
Cost and insurance
The screening is part of the comprehensive and periodic exams that most dental plans cover in full, so there is no separate charge. A biopsy, if one is needed, is a separate procedure that is usually covered by dental or medical insurance; our team verifies the benefit and tells you what to expect before anything is done.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa for oral cancer screening
- Every patient, every exam. The screening is a fixed part of the exam, done by Dr. Berger herself, not an add-on you have to ask for.
- Systematic, not a glance. Lips, tongue, floor of mouth, palate, throat and neck, in the same order every time, so nothing is missed.
- Documented. Anything unusual is measured and photographed so it can be compared at the next visit instead of remembered.
- Fast action on findings. A two-week recheck, then biopsy or direct referral, with no waiting for the next routine visit.
- Care through treatment. If the news is bad, your dental care during cancer treatment is managed here, in coordination with your medical team.
Patients come to us for oral cancer screening and routine care from Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek. If you have a sore or patch that has lasted more than two weeks, call today rather than waiting for your next cleaning.
A sore that has not healed in two weeks
Do not wait for your next cleaning. Call and we will see you for an exam this week. If it is nothing, you will know; if it is something, you will have caught it early.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I have an oral cancer screening?
At every dental exam, which for most adults means twice a year. Patients who use tobacco, drink heavily, have had HPV-related disease or a previous oral lesion are examined more often. The screening is part of the exam, so there is no separate appointment to schedule.
Does the screening hurt?
No. It is a visual inspection and gentle pressure with gloved fingers on the tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth and neck. The only sensation most people notice is the gauze used to hold the tongue. It takes about two minutes.
What does oral cancer look like in its early stages?
Usually unimpressive: a small painless ulcer that does not heal, a flat red patch, a white patch that cannot be wiped off, or a slightly firm area under the tongue or in the cheek. Pain, bleeding and loose teeth tend to come later. That is why the two-week rule matters more than how a spot looks.
I do not smoke or drink. Do I still need to be screened?
Yes. HPV now causes most cancers at the back of the throat, often in non-smokers, and about a quarter of oral cancers occur in people with no known risk factor. Sun exposure causes lip cancer in people who have never used tobacco. Everyone is screened at every exam for exactly this reason.
What is the connection between HPV and oral cancer?
Certain strains of the human papillomavirus infect the tonsils and base of the tongue and can cause cancer there years later. These cancers are rising in men and women in their 40s and 50s. The HPV vaccine prevents the responsible strains and is recommended through age 26, with a doctor’s discussion up to 45. HPV-related throat cancers respond well to treatment when found early.
What happens if Dr. Berger finds a suspicious spot?
She measures and photographs it, removes any obvious cause such as a sharp edge, and rechecks it in two weeks. If it has not healed, it is biopsied, here or by direct referral to an oral surgeon, and the sample goes to an oral pathology laboratory. Results take about a week, and you are called with them either way.
Is a white patch in my mouth cancer?
Most are not. Cheek biting, a candida (yeast) infection, lichen planus and irritation from a denture all cause white areas. A white patch that cannot be wiped off and has no obvious cause, called leukoplakia, is precancerous in a small percentage of cases and is biopsied if it persists. Red patches are taken more seriously than white ones.
Does dental insurance cover an oral cancer screening?
It is included in the routine exam that nearly all plans cover in full, so there is no additional charge. A biopsy, if needed, is billed separately and is usually covered by dental or medical insurance; we verify this before it is done.
Do you see patients from outside Pompano Beach?
Yes. Patients come for oral cancer screening and routine dental care from Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek and across Broward County. The office is at 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach. Call (954) 785-1100 or request an appointment.