Dr. Tiffany Shields is your Jacksonville, FL dentist committed to your total body health and oral preventive care. Did you know that dental checkups involve far more than just your teeth? When Dr. Shields examines your mouth, she also screens the soft tissues of your mouth for precancerous and cancerous lesions in order to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with oral cancers.

Together with The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, the American Academy of Periodontology, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Oral Medicine, the American Dental Association is supporting the Oral Cancer Foundation’s effort to recognize April as oral cancer awareness month. Professionals in each of these oral health care fields are working to educate patients and increase awareness of the dangers of oral cancer and the benefits of regular screenings.

High-risk sites for oral cancer include the ventral and lateral surfaces of the tongue, floor of mouth, and the anterior tonsillar pillars. While these sites together comprise only 20 percent of the surface area of the oral cavity, they give rise to roughly 75 percent of oral cancers. Dr. Shields is trained to preserve your total body health by screening these surfaces for possible cancerous lesions. If you’re due for an oral exam, contact your Jacksonville dentist today for your oral cancer screening!