OralCancerScreening For Today’s Population Oral cancer is often not noticed in its early stages because Dental professionals could it can develop without pain or symptoms. If the cancer is potentially detect about detected early, and before it has spread to other tissues, the 84% of the number of new 5-year survival rate may be as high as 90%. oral cancer cases.1

1. Laronde DM, Hislop TG, Elwood JM, Rosin MP. Oral cancer: Just the facts. J Can Dent Assoc. 2008;74(3):269–72.

Extraoral Assessment Head & Neck The dental hygienist examines and palpates the following areas:

1 Palpate jaw joint for clicking, 6 Palpate supraclavicular lymph nodes tenderness or restricted movement above both sides of the collar bone. when the mouth is opened and closed. u u

2 Palpate the parotid salivary gland and 7 Palpate occipital lymph nodes at the the masseter muscle in the cheeks base of the skull. for swelling or tenderness. u u

3 Palpate submental lymph nodes 8 Palpate postauricular lymph under the chin area. nodes behind the ear.

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4 Palpate submandibular lymph nodes 9 Palpate preauricular lymph nodes in under the angle of the jaw. front of the ear. u u

5 Palpate along 10 Palpate thyroid gland for restricted both sides of the neck. movement during swallowing. u u © September 2015 CDHA | ACHD - If you would like to reproduce or reprint this document visit www.cdha.ca/copyright © September 2015 CDHA | What To Look For...

➠ A red or white patch in the mouth ➠ Hoarseness or change in speech ➠ A lump or thickening of tissue in the mouth, ➠ Pain or difficulty swallowing, speaking, neck or face chewing or moving the jaw or ➠ Sore in the mouth, including under a denture or ➠ Wart-like masses in the mouth an appliance, which bleeds easily or does not heal within 14 days ➠ A lump in the throat or feeling like something is caught in the throat ➠ Numbness in the mouth or face ➠ Persistent earache in only one ear ➠ Continuous sore throat or persistent infection that lasts for a long time or recurs www.cdha.ca/OCS

Intraoral Assessment & Mouth The dental hygienist pays close attention to changes in colour, size, and texture when examining the following areas:

1 Lips: examine with 4 Gingiva or gums: 7 While the tongue is finger and thumb. look for red or touching the roof of white patches or the mouth, visually u u swelling, hardness or u examine and palpate tenderness. the surface for any swelling, red or white patches or hard spots.

2 Upper and lower : 5 When the tongue is 8 While the tongue is examine the gingiva or straight out, palpate elevated, visually gums and inside of the and visually examine examine and palpate u lip for any changes. u the upper surface, u the area bimanually looking as far back as for any swelling, can be seen for any hard spots or swelling, texture or changes in colour or colour changes. texture.

3 Inside of the cheeks: 6 Holding the tongue 9 Have the client take look for red or white to the side, examine a deep breath in patches or swelling, each side for any red through the mouth u hardness or tenderness. u or white patches, and u and say “aah.” palpate for tenderness, Depress the tongue swelling or hard spots. and examine the throat and palate for signs of swelling, texture or colour change.