Oral cancers can occur on your lips, gums, tongue, roof, or floor of the mouth and inner linings of the cheeks. They’re grouped and treated as head and neck cancers. If you visit your dentist regularly, they can help identify and treat cancer before it advances.
Some people seek help when the cancer is too advanced for effective dental treatment. Many factors increase the risk of oral cancers. Among the top risk factors are smoking, excessive alcohol use, family history, aging, excessive sun exposure, and poor diet.
Here are six signs that may suggest you have oral cancer:
1. Swelling/Thickening
Oral cancer can cause swelling, thickening, lumps, bumps, rough spots, crusts, and eroded areas in different parts of your mouth. Most cancers cause swelling in your cheek, lips, gums, and mouth. You may also experience numbness, pain, tenderness, and unexplained bleeding in the mouth. These symptoms can extend to tenderness and numbness in the face or neck. The swelling can occur in your jaws and make dentures or other mouth gear uncomfortable.
2. Sores That Don’t Heal
Persistent sores on the face, neck, and mouth are common signs of oral cancer. If the sores don’t heal within two weeks, you should seek treatment promptly to rule out cancer. Sores that don’t heal can make it difficult to chew, swallow, speak or move your tongue and jaw. You may have soreness in the back of the throat like something is stuck inside. The symptom may also manifest as a chronic sore throat that changes your voice and causes hoarseness.
3. Speckled Patches in the Mouth
Red, velvet white, or combinations of red and white patches inside your mouth may be early signs of oral cancer. The patches may feel tender or hoarse, and lumpy.
Some people will have a white or red patch in isolation. Others may develop speckled patches, a more severe sign requiring prompt diagnosis. Patches usually signify the early stages of cancer, so you can treat and eliminate cancer before it advances.
4. Pain in the Head & Neck
Swelling and pain are almost inevitable if you have oral cancer. Most head and neck cancers cause pain in different areas, including the jaws, gums, lips, and mouth. Visit your dentist if you have mouth and ear pain that doesn’t go away for several days or weeks. Oral cancer can also cause pain and discomfort when chewing and swallowing. You’ll feel a change in the way your dentures or teeth fit together.
5. Dramatic Weight Loss
Unintentional weight loss can signify oral cancer, especially if accompanied by other symptoms mentioned above. You should note that weight loss may stem from different reasons, including drug abuse, malnutrition, excessive workouts, and other ailments or stimuli.
See a dentist if you can’t explain your weight loss and have other symptoms like soreness, earache, lumps, patches, or bleeding. The weight loss may also accompany chronic bad breath and loose teeth.
6. Precancerous Conditions
Oral cancer can result in signs easily mistaken for common problems and changes in your mouth. The most popular precancerous conditions include leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and erythroleukoplakia. Leukoplakia refers to flat white/grey patches in your throat and mouth. Erythroplakia are slightly raised red patches that bleed when scraped. Erythroleukoplakia is red and white patches in the throat or mouth.
All three conditions can precede oral cancer.
Working With a Dentist to Prevent Oral Cancer
If you experience any of the above symptoms that persist for more than a week or two, you should seek help. Oral cancer is treatable, but you need to find help during the early stages. Advanced cancers are much harder to treat and can be life-threatening. Some oral cancers can make it impossible to eat or breathe normally.
Cancer also tends to spread to other parts of the body. Seeking help early will provide a precise diagnosis to identify cancer and affected areas. Stick to reputable dental care facilities with a clean track record and specialty in full mouth restoration and cosmetic dentistry.
The dentist will perform a physical exam or scrape/brush biopsy. Other tests include incisional biopsy and indirect and direct laryngoscopy, and pharyngoscopy. If possible, find the best local dental clinics for expert diagnosis and advice. Most cases of oral cancer are easy to treat, particularly if you get an early diagnosis.
