How can a dentist see cancer?
Oral cancer is on the increase. The two main causes are lifestyle choices – smoking and alcohol. There are rarer causes too and even if you don’t smoke or drink it is important to be screened regularly. This is one of the reasons we encourage you to visit us at least once, if not twice a year for a professional clean and a full dental check-up. We urge you to follow the oral health guidelines that our highly trained hygienists lay out for you. If we suspect a lesion we’ll use the VELSCOPE, a special camera to view the area and, if necessary, we will refer you to Oral Surgery for follow-up and tests.
Do you have a lump in your mouth?
If you are worried about something unusual in your mouth it’s important to come and see us straightaway, as it always pays to obtain an early diagnosis. That said, there are all sorts of causes for lumps in the mouth and generally the majority are benign. They can be safely removed under local anaesthetic here in our clinic, without the need for referral to hospital. Your tissue specimen is always sent for microscopic examination afterwards.
Occasionally some skin conditions can present in the mouth and a small biopsy can be taken and sent for examination to confirm the diagnosis, and an appropriate referral made to your doctor. On rare occasions we can see discoloured patches that may merit referral to a specialist at the dental hospital. At O3 Dental though we have also invested in a special hi-tech camera, the VELSCOPE, that can assist in determining the nature of the discolouration.
“Finally! I’ve been a client here for the past 3 years getting a lot of much-needed work done. Damien & Leona make a great team and take great care to make you as comfortable as possible. Today, I got my new crowns and have been beaming a smile since. I honestly did not realise how much of a difference it was going to make to have such precise work done in comparison with what was there before. Good dental care is essential, but if you need any kind of work done I couldn’t recommend this place enough. If you’re wary or anxious about dental appointments, this is the place for you. Thanks a million, folks!”
“I can’t say enough about 03 Dental Letterkenny Damian and Leona. I feel like shouting from the roof tops for all those that have a phobia like me. I have been to other dentists but by far Letterkenny 03 are the most companionate, caring and professional not to mention the fantastic job they did on my teeth, I had conscious sedation and remember nothing! Very happy to have found my future dentist.”
