Oral Cancer- What You Should Know Nov 16 2020

Cancer can take many forms throughout the body, one of which is in the mouth. Oral cancer can occur in places such as lips, cheeks, mouths, teeth, gums, and parts of the tongue and throat.

Some symptoms of oral cancer include:

• Red or white patches in the previously mentioned places of the mouth
• A sore that doesn’t go away
• tenderness or numbness in the mouth or lips
• Having a hard time chewing , speaking, or using your tongue/jaw
• A lump, or rough spot
• A change in teeth movement when closing your mouth
• Sore throat or change in voice

Risk Factors: A few things have been discovered and related to an increased risk of oral cancer. Men are 2x more likely than women to get oral cancer. People that drink alcohol excessively and those who smoke that are older than 50 are at highest risk. HPV has also been linked to throat cancers.

What we can do: During your routine cleaning and dental check-up, our dentist Dr. Warner, will check all the problem areas that typically have oral cancer. If he finds anything, he will most likely check you again in a few weeks and then refer you to testing.

Be aware of the risk factors, and take care of your mouth. If you have concerns, please call us.