A critical part of preventive health care is your dental exam. Your dental exam evaluates your risk for developing cavities and gum disease. During your dental exam, the dentist will not only check for cavities and gum disease but assess your general oral health for other issues such as abnormalities in your neck and facial region. As a part of your dental exam an oral cancer screening is completed. Oral Cancer Screenings are completed to identify oral cancer early for a greater chance of a cure.