TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) Summary
- The Focus: April is National Oral Cancer Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to evaluate the health of your entire mouth, not just your teeth.
- The Expertise: Periodontists are specialists in oral medicine. We evaluate the gums, cheeks, tongue, and throat to spot early warning signs of disease.
- The Action: Routine soft-tissue examinations can catch abnormalities—like sores that won’t heal or unexplained lumps—before they become life-threatening.
- The Authority: Dr. Barry Feldner is a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, bringing the highest level of diagnostic expertise to protect your oral health.
When most people think of a dental visit, they think about checking for cavities, cleaning their teeth, or maybe whitening their smile. But your mouth is composed of far more than just teeth. It is lined with complex, highly vascular soft tissues—your gums, cheeks, tongue, and the roof of your mouth.
April is National Oral Cancer Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to shift how we think about oral healthcare. As a periodontist, my job goes far beyond placing dental implants or treating gum recession. I am a specialist in oral medicine, and when you sit in my chair, I act as the guardian of your overall oral health.
More Than Just Teeth: The Soft Tissue Specialists
A general dentist is your primary care provider for your teeth. A periodontist, however, is a specialist focused specifically on the structures that support those teeth and the soft tissues that line your oral cavity.
Because we spend our entire careers examining gums and mucosal tissues, we are uniquely trained to notice microscopic changes in the landscape of your mouth. We look for shifts in color, texture, and tissue density that might indicate an underlying systemic issue, an infection, or even cellular abnormalities.
The Critical Importance of Oral Cancer Screenings
Oral cancer is a serious condition, but like many cancers, early detection drastically improves the outcome. Unfortunately, oral cancer often begins as a tiny, painless spot or a subtle change in tissue that goes completely unnoticed by the patient.
During a comprehensive periodontal examination, we don’t just measure your gum pockets. We perform a thorough oral pathology screening. We are actively looking for:
- Red or white patches on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth.
- Sores that bleed easily or do not heal within two weeks.
- Lumps, thickening, or rough spots in the soft tissue.
- Changes in the way your teeth or dentures fit together.
By having a specialist monitor these tissues, you establish a powerful first line of defense against oral disease.
Why See a Board-Certified Periodontist?
If you notice an unusual change in your gums or oral tissue, an accurate and swift diagnosis is paramount.
While all periodontists have advanced training, achieving “Diplomate” status with the American Board of Periodontology is the highest level of peer-reviewed recognition in our specialty. It means I have voluntarily passed rigorous, comprehensive examinations proving absolute mastery in periodontal disease, oral pathology, and implantology.
This credential is your assurance that you are being evaluated by an expert who is trained to provide the highest standard of diagnostic care and surgical precision.
Protecting Your Smile and Your Life
Your oral health is a window to your overall health. Whether we are rebuilding your bone for a dental implant, treating periodontal disease to protect your heart, or screening for oral cancer, our goal is to protect you.
Do not wait until a small issue becomes a painful problem. If you are overdue for a comprehensive soft-tissue examination, or if you have noticed a change in your mouth that concerns you, we are here to help.