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Oral exams for oral cancer screening have some limitations, such as:

• Oral cancer screening could lead to additional tests. Many people have sores in their mouths, with the great majority being noncancerous. An oral exam can't determine which sores are cancerous and which are not.

If your dentist finds an unusual sore, you may go through further testing to determine its cause. The only way to definitively determine whether you have oral cancer is to remove some abnormal cells and test them for cancer by a procedure called a biopsy.

• Oral cancer screening can't detect all mouth cancers. It can be difficult to detect areas of abnormal cells just by looking at your mouth, so it's possible that a small cancer or precancerous lesion could go undetected.
• Oral cancer screening hasn't been proved to save lives. There's no evidence that routine oral examinations to look for signs of oral cancer can reduce the number of deaths caused by oral cancer. However, screening for oral cancer may help find cancers early — when cure is more likely.

Oral cancer screening doesn't require any special preparation. Oral cancer screening is typically performed during a routine dental appointment.

During an oral cancer screening exam, your dentist looks over the inside of your mouth to check for red or white patches or mouth sores. Using gloved hands, your dentist also feels the tissues in your mouth to check for lumps or other abnormalities.

If you wear complete or partial dentures that are removable, your dentist or doctor will ask you to remove them so that the tissue underneath can be examined.

Additional tests for oral cancer screening

Some dentists use special tests in addition to the oral exam to screen for oral cancer. It's not clear if these tests offer any additional benefit over the oral exam. Special oral cancer screening tests may involve:

• Rinsing your mouth with a special blue dye before an exam. Abnormal cells in your mouth may take up the dye and appear blue.
• Shining a light in your mouth during an exam. The light makes healthy tissue appear dark and makes abnormal tissue appear white.

If your dentist discovers any signs of mouth cancer or precancerous lesions, he or she may recommend:

• A follow-up visit in a few weeks to see if the abnormal area is still present and note whether it has grown or changed over time.
• A biopsy procedure to remove a sample of cells for laboratory testing to determine whether cancer cells are present. Your dentist may perform the biopsy, or you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in oral cancer diagnosis and treatment.