EARLY STAGE ORAL CANCER IS OFTEN PAINLESS AND GOES UNDETECTED. EVERY DENTAL CHECKUP SHOULD INCLUDE A SIX-STEP SCREENING.
For Patients
Get informed. Know the early signs of oral cancer. Get a thorough Six-Step Oral Cancer Screening.
For Dental Professionals
Catch it early. Establish a system so every patient has a Six-Step Screening by a dentist or dental hygienist.
The Six-Step Screening
Scroll through the six steps to a thorough oral cancer screening by either clicking on one of the boxes or sliding your finger across the image.
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1. Tongue ‘n Gauze
Pull out the tongue with gauze, visually examine it for any swelling, ulceration or variation in size, color or texture. Gently run your index finger along the lateral borders to feel for any hard tissue. -
2. Lip & Cheek Roll
Roll the tissue of the buccal mucosa and lips between your fingers. Note any firm or nodular areas, texture or color changes. Pull the upper and lower lips out completely, examining the labial mucosa and sulcus of the maxillary vestibule and frenum, and the mandibular vestibule. -
3. Double-Digit Probe
Visually examine the floor of the mouth and palpate it bimanually with a gloved finger beneath the tongue and another under the chin on the exterior skin. -
4. Double-Digit Probe
Check the hard and soft palate visually and palpate with your finger. -
5. Neck Caress
Roll tissue over the edge of the mandible. Have your patient look down and turn his head to the side which makes the Sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) stand out. Roll the soft tissue of the neck over the SCM.Palpate the tissue around the Adams apple.
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6. Tonsil Ahhhhhh
Take a good look at the tonsils and the back of the throat. Check for asymmetry, ulceration or redness. Examine the retromolar pads and all of the adjacent tissue.Ask your patient if they have experienced any hoarseness, voice changes, or pain.
Testimonials
“Thank you for a magnificent and motivating presentation at our 15th annual event. Your evaluations were unprecedented – never before has a speaker received 4+++ (beyond excellent)! Several said your program was the ‘best ever.’ With 350 in attendance, you could hear a pin drop; you commanded that level of interest.”
Daryl Beckman, RDH DiCesare & DiCesare Periodontal Health Specialists Red Bank, NJ
“Eva’s keynote presentation was an amazing way to start our conference. Moving, powerful, inspirational!”
Christine Wood, RDH Executive Director, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors Sparks, NV
“Your presentation was the best and most impactful course I took at Hinman. After 2 hours with you, I realized there was something I was missing…the human element. The perspective from an oral cancer survivor was something I never heard before. You are a crusader and exactly what the dental profession needs as a whole.”
Christopher E. Roberts, DDS Brushy Mountain Dental N. Wilkesboro, NC
Six-Step Salute
Dental professionals who have saved a life by catching oral cancer early
Endorsement
Dental professionals endorse the Six-Step Screening as a useful tool.