Preventive care
Oral Cancer Screening
A quick, painless check included with every exam, every time, without being asked for.
An oral cancer screening is a quick, painless look at the soft tissues of your mouth, throat, face, and neck for anything that should not be there. At Soothing Dental it is included with every exam, for every patient, without being asked for. It takes about two minutes and it is the single easiest thing you will do for yourself all year.
Why it is part of every exam here
Oral cancer is most treatable when it is caught early, and early is precisely when it produces no symptoms you would notice. A sore that does not heal, a patch of color, a small firm area that was not there before: these are easy to miss and easy to dismiss. Because we look every time, we are comparing against what your mouth looked like six months ago rather than guessing.
What the screening involves
Dr. Alejandra deFuentes Cutter, D.D.S. examines the tongue, including underneath and along the sides, the floor and roof of the mouth, the inside of the cheeks and lips, the back of the throat, and gently feels the neck and jaw for anything unusual. Nothing is injected, nothing is uncomfortable, and you will barely notice it happening inside a normal exam.
What we are looking for
Sores that have not healed within two weeks, white or red patches, unexplained lumps or thickened areas, rough spots, and any persistent change in how your mouth feels. Most of what turns up is completely harmless. The point is not to alarm you, it is to have somebody trained looking regularly.
Who should be screened
Everybody. Tobacco and heavy alcohol use raise the risk, and so does HPV, but a meaningful share of oral cancers occur in people with none of those factors. That is the argument for screening everyone as routine rather than screening the people who look like candidates.
If we find something
Most findings are minor and simply watched, with a follow-up look in a couple of weeks to see whether it has resolved. If something needs a specialist opinion, we say so plainly, we help you get seen, and we do not leave you to work out the next step by yourself.
Oral cancer screening in Plymouth
You do not need to book this separately or ask for it. It comes with your exam, every time, whether you are here from Plymouth, Canton, Northville, or further out. If something in your mouth has been bothering you, mention it and we will look properly.
Why patients stay
Dentistry, done differently.
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Gentle, even for the anxious
We hold your hand through it, literally if you want. No judgment, no rush.
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Caring for Plymouth families for decades
Three owners, one standard of care, and over 25 years in Dr. deFuentes Cutter's hands.
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A person, not a call center
Call and you reach our front desk. We answer your questions ourselves.
Good questions
Questions patients often ask.
Does the screening hurt?
Not at all. It is a visual examination of the soft tissues of your mouth and throat, plus gently feeling the neck and jaw. Nothing is injected and nothing is uncomfortable. Most patients do not particularly notice it happening because it takes place inside a normal exam.
How long does it take?
About two minutes. It is built into your regular exam rather than being a separate appointment, so it adds nothing to your visit and costs you no extra time.
Do I need to ask for it?
No. Every exam here includes an oral cancer screening as standard, for every patient. That is deliberate, because a meaningful share of oral cancers occur in people with none of the classic risk factors, so screening only the obvious candidates misses cases.
What happens if you find something?
Most findings are minor and simply watched, with another look in about two weeks to see whether it has cleared up on its own, which most things do. If something needs a specialist opinion we will tell you plainly, help you get seen quickly, and stay involved rather than handing you a phone number.
Who is most at risk?
Tobacco use and heavy alcohol use raise the risk considerably, and HPV is now a significant factor as well, particularly for cancers at the back of the throat. Risk also rises with age. That said, plenty of cases occur in people with no risk factors at all, which is why we screen everyone.
Ready when you are
We're easier to call than you think.
Tell us what's worrying you. We'll take it from there. No scripts, no rush.