Oral Cancer Screening in San Jose, CA
 Oral cancer screening at South Valley Oral and Facial Surgery in San Jose, CA is a short, non-invasive exam that checks the lips, tongue, gums, cheeks, palate, and throat for the earliest signs of oral cancer or pre-cancerous changes.
The screening takes about 10 to 15 minutes, requires no special preparation, and is something every adult should have on a routine basis. Most screenings find nothing concerning, which is exactly the point.
Catching oral cancer early changes the conversation completely. When something is identified in its earliest stages, treatment is usually simpler and outcomes are much better. When detection comes later, both become harder. Annual screening is a small investment of time that gives you a clear baseline and pays off most when there is genuinely something to find.
Our oral and maxillofacial surgeons are well-positioned for this exam. Oral cancer screening sits inside the broader specialty of oral pathology, which our team handles every week, and our training covers the full anatomy of the mouth, jaw, and throat. If something during the exam needs a closer look, we can take a tissue sample in the same visit rather than referring you elsewhere and adding a separate appointment.
On This Page
What Is Oral Cancer Screening?
 Oral cancer screening is a visual and tactile examination of the tissues of the mouth, lips, and adjacent areas, performed to identify early changes that may need further evaluation. Our surgeon looks at and gently feels the soft tissues, checking for color changes, texture changes, lumps, asymmetries, and persistent sores or patches. Most of these findings, when they appear, turn out to be benign. The point of screening is to identify the small number that are not, before they have time to develop further.
What the Surgeon Is Looking For
The screening covers a defined set of findings. White or red patches that don’t scrape off, sores that have not healed within two to three weeks, lumps or thickened areas that feel different from the surrounding tissue, asymmetry between the right and left sides of the tongue or palate, persistent hoarseness or trouble swallowing, and pain or numbness in a specific spot are all flagged for closer evaluation. None of these findings means cancer on its own. They simply mean that area earns a second look, possibly with imaging or a biopsy.
How Screening Connects to Diagnosis
A screening exam does not diagnose oral cancer. A diagnosis requires a tissue sample sent to a pathology lab. When the screening identifies something suspicious, our team explains what we’re seeing, why it earned a closer look, and what the next step is. If a biopsy is appropriate, we can usually perform it in the same visit. If imaging is needed first, we coordinate that before scheduling further work. Most patients who go through a biopsy after a screening get a benign result.
Your San Jose Screening Team
Dr. Joseph McMurray, DMD, MBA, FACOMS, has been practicing oral and maxillofacial surgery for more than 35 years, including 11 years of active duty service with the U.S. Navy. The pathology exam is one of the most consistent parts of OMFS practice, and his experience covers both the typical findings most patients have and the uncommon ones that matter. Background on Dr. McMurray’s bio.
Dr. Arian Chehrehsa, DDS, ABOMS, NDBA, is dual board-certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Anesthesiology, San Jose-born and trained at NYU Dental and Montefiore Medical Center. He brings the same systematic approach to the screening exam and the same willingness to explain what he’s seeing in real time so you understand each step. More on Dr. Chehrehsa’s bio.
Either surgeon can perform your screening. If a finding warrants a tissue sample, we can move directly into a biopsy or into the broader cysts and tumors treatment pathway in the same office without sending you elsewhere to start over.
What Happens During the Exam
The full screening visit runs about 30 minutes, with the exam itself taking 10 to 15 minutes.
Brief History
We start with a few targeted questions: any new symptoms, changes you’ve noticed, tobacco or alcohol history, sun exposure for lip cancer risk, and any prior oral cancer history. None of this is judgmental. It informs which areas warrant extra attention and how often we recommend re-screening.
Visual Examination
Our surgeon uses good lighting and gentle retraction to look at the lips, the inside of the cheeks, the gums (upper and lower, front and back), the tongue (top, sides, and underside), the floor of the mouth, the hard and soft palate, the tonsil area, and the back of the throat. We move systematically so nothing is missed. The whole visual portion takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
Tactile Examination
With gloved hands, we gently palpate the tongue, the floor of the mouth, the cheeks, the neck, and the area just below the jaw. Lumps that are not visible from the surface are often picked up on palpation. This part takes 2 to 4 minutes. You will feel pressure but not pain.
Conversation About Findings
At the end of the exam, our surgeon walks you through what we saw and felt. If everything looks normal, we recommend a re-screening interval based on your risk profile and you go home. If something earns a closer look, we explain why, what the next step would be, and what the likely outcomes are. The single most useful thing we can give you at this stage is information.
Who Should Be Screened and How Often
 Annual oral cancer screening is reasonable for most adults. Some patients benefit from more frequent screening based on specific risk factors, and those intervals are decided case by case.
Higher-risk groups include current and former smokers, heavy alcohol users, people with HPV-positive status (particularly HPV-16, which is associated with throat cancer), patients with significant chronic sun exposure to the lips, anyone with a prior diagnosis of oral or oropharyngeal cancer, and patients with persistent unexplained symptoms in the mouth or throat. For most of these groups, screening every 6 months is a reasonable starting point. For everyone else, an annual screening is generally enough.
- Current or Former Smokers – Tobacco use is the largest single modifiable risk factor for oral cancer.
- Regular Alcohol Use – Risk increases with daily or heavy alcohol consumption, especially in combination with tobacco.
- HPV Status – HPV-16 is connected to a meaningful share of oropharyngeal cancers and warrants attention even in non-smokers.
- Chronic Lip Sun Exposure – Outdoor workers and patients with prior lip lesions benefit from focused lip-area screening.
- Prior Oral Cancer History – Anyone with a prior diagnosis needs ongoing surveillance, often every 3 to 6 months.
If you fall into one of these groups and have not had a recent screening, this is an easy appointment to schedule. If you don’t fall into any of them, an annual screening is still the right call.
Why Choose Our Team for Oral Cancer Screening
The strongest practical reason to have your screening done by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is continuity. If a screening finding warrants a biopsy or imaging, we can do it ourselves in the same office, often during the same visit. That eliminates the back-and-forth referral pattern that delays diagnosis by weeks in some cases.
Our surgeons see the full range of oral pathology findings every week, from completely benign reactive lesions to early carcinomas and cysts. That broader exposure sharpens what the eye looks for and what the fingers feel during the exam. We also have direct lines to pathology labs and to medical oncology when a finding does need that next level of evaluation.
For patients who are not sure whether something they’ve noticed warrants attention, our practice also offers second opinion oral surgery consultations. There is no harm in having an extra set of eyes on something you’re worried about, especially when the extra eyes belong to a specialist trained for the exact concern you have. We serve patients across the South Bay and Central Valley, including San Jose, Gilroy, and Los Banos.
Oral Cancer Screening Cost and Insurance
The cost of an oral cancer screening depends on whether the screening is a standalone visit or bundled with another appointment, and whether the exam leads to additional steps like a biopsy. As a standalone exam, it is one of the more affordable visits in our office. We give you a clear estimate before any work is done.
Most dental insurance plans cover oral cancer screening as part of a routine exam, and many medical plans cover it when there is a specific risk factor or symptom. Our front office team verifies your benefits and walks you through what your plan will and will not contribute. More on accepted plans and insurance and financing options.
If you are uninsured or your plan does not cover screening, the out-of-pocket cost for the standalone exam is modest, and we offer flexible payment options. Cost should not stop anyone from getting this exam.
Schedule Your Oral Cancer Screening
Annual screening is a small step with a big upside. Call us at 408-479-9449 or request an appointment online to book your exam. Our San Jose office is at 5595 Winfield Blvd Suite 202, San Jose, CA 95123. Directions and information about all three of our offices are at our office locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an oral cancer screening take?
The exam itself runs about 10 to 15 minutes. With check-in, history, the exam, and the follow-up conversation about findings, plan for around 30 minutes in the office. If a tissue sample is needed during the same visit, add another 15 to 20 minutes.
Does the screening hurt?
No. The visual portion is just looking. The tactile portion involves gentle pressure on the tongue, the floor of the mouth, and the neck area, which most patients describe as completely tolerable. No anesthesia is needed, and you can eat and drink normally immediately afterward.
Do I really need this if my regular dentist already checks?
A screening done well by your general dentist is a real screening, and many find nothing concerning. The difference with an OMFS-performed exam is what happens next: if a finding does need a biopsy, we can do it in the same visit rather than refer out. For patients with higher risk factors or a specific concern, that continuity often matters.
What happens if the surgeon finds something?
Our surgeon explains what was seen and why it needs a closer look before any next step is taken. The most common next step is either a brief observation period to see whether the finding resolves on its own, or a biopsy, which is a small tissue sample sent to a pathology lab. Most biopsies after screening findings come back benign.
How often should I be screened?
Annual screening is appropriate for most adults. Patients with higher risk factors, such as a smoking history, regular alcohol use, HPV status, significant lip sun exposure, or a prior oral cancer diagnosis, often benefit from screening every 6 months. We give you a specific recommended interval at the end of your first exam.
Does insurance cover oral cancer screening?
Most dental plans cover oral cancer screening as part of routine exam benefits, and many medical plans cover it when a specific risk factor or symptom is documented. Our team verifies your specific coverage during the intake call, and more is available on our insurance and financing options.
Should I get screened if I’ve never smoked?
Yes. While tobacco is the largest modifiable risk factor, a meaningful share of oral and oropharyngeal cancers occur in patients with no tobacco history. HPV-related throat cancers in particular are increasingly common in non-smokers, often diagnosed in adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. An annual screening makes sense regardless of smoking history.
I’ve had a sore spot for three weeks. Should I come in?
Yes. Any sore or lesion that has been present for more than two weeks without clear improvement is worth having looked at, even if it doesn’t hurt much. Most of these turn out to be benign reactive lesions, but the only way to know for sure is an exam, sometimes followed by a biopsy. Call our office and we will get you in. |
