Can a Dentist detect Throat Cancer

[Pipsqwark]

I'm in my 20's and have been having difficulty swallowing, pain when swallowing, ear pain, facial pain and neck aches and pain in between my shoulder blades.

 

I am seeing my dentist on Friday, I know they can detect Mouth Cancer obviously but what about Throat Cancer? I have been to my GP several times but they aren't doing anything!

 

P.S:- I gave up smoking over 8 years ago and rarely drink alcohol.

[purdyamos]

I remember you've started threads about this before. If you've already seen your GP about it and s/he insists there's no sign of anything wrong, then I would think it's a result of anxiety which gets reinforced by your fears about it being cancer. It can be like a vicious circle, feeding itself. It sounds like you're very tensed up around the area. I think it would be worth looking at some sort of stress relief, whether it's relaxation exercises, or physically massaging or exercising the area to loosen the tension. Yoga exercises for head and shoulders are good for that. Some form of therapy to tackle the obsessive thoughts might also be an idea, like a bout of CBT to help get past the cycle your mind's stuck in. It's very effective at tackling fears like that. If you give that a go you may find that the pains fade away along with the fears. Your GP should be able to help with that.

[boyfriday]

I'll second what purdy says, my youngest suffered some real anxiety last year that manifested itself in him finding it difficult to swallow. He loves his food so it was awful watching him trying to get it down and being sick with the effort.

 

I think you should try to see your GP again, and ask for a referral to an ENT specialist to allay your fears once and for all.

[Harleyman]

Usually the dentist will spot some infection or something unusual in the throat when he examines your teeth and gums.

A wise dentist wouldn't try to be a throat specialist and cause uneccessary alarm and despondency by saying it might be throat cancer. If it was a false alarm the patient understandably would be very p*ssed off with him.

He will probalbly strongly advise you to see a doctor however "Just to get it checked out"