Oral Cancer

Early detection is vital to surviving oral cancer! At every appointment in our office, we conduct thorough oral cancer screening. We look for any lumps or bumps, abnormal tissue changes around the head and neck regions and inside your mouth. The most common oral cancer sites are the tongue, floor of the mouth, soft palate, lips and gums. One of the best ways to discover cancers is with a panoramic x-ray. This x-ray should be routinely taken every five years.

Oral cancer usually occurs in people over the age of 40, but it can develop at any age. These are some warning signs to watch for:

* A sore in the mouth that does not heal or bleeds easily;
* A lump or thickening in the cheek;
* A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth;
* Soreness or a feeling that something is caught in the throat;
* Difficulty chewing or swallowing;
* Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue;
* Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth; or
* Swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.

It is vital that you do not ignore a mouth sore just because it doesn’t hurt. Most pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions are completely painless. If any of the warning signs does not disappear within two weeks, see your dentist right away.

You can minimize your chances of developing oral cancer by not smoking or using chewing tobacco and by avoiding excessive alcohol use.