Blog

Oral Cancer

• The risks, the symptoms and how to help prevent it...
• Regular visits to your dentist could save your life!
• Early detection of mouth cancer greatly improves the chances of survival. Dentists want to encourage people to go for regular check-ups, every 6 months, to monitor any changes in the mouth or tongue and to recognise any suspicious looking lesions or ulcers

Did you know that …

• Oral cancer kills more people than cervical cancer and malignant melanomas.
• The only way to make sure your mouth is healthy and safe is to visit your dentist every 6 months for suspicious sores, ulcers, lumps or red and whitepatches during your routine dental exam.

The symptoms of oral, head and neck cancer can include…

• A sore in the mouth that does not heal (most common symptom)
• Some pain in the mouth that does not go away (also very common)
• Persistent lump or thickening in the cheek
• A persistent white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil or lining of the mouth
• A sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in the throat that does not go away
• Some difficulty chewing or swallowing
• A difficulty moving the jaw or tongue
• Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth
• Swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable Sharp broken teeth, dentures or bridgework can irritate the tongue and cheeks and cause chronic ulcers, which may fail to heal and give rise to significant changes that may lead to cancerous growths.
• Loosening of the teeth or pain around the teeth or jaw
• Voice changes
• Lump or mass in the neck
• Unintentional weight loss
• Persistent bad breath
• The most important step to take is to report any of these symptoms (lasting more than two weeks) to a dentist and book a regular check up at least every 6 months.

Some preventative measures are

• When brushing your teeth, look out for any changes in your mouth, and report any red or white patches, or ulcers, that have not cleared up within two weeks. If they are still there after 2 weeks, it’s time to make that appointment to the dentist.
• When exposed to the sun, be sure to use a good protective sun cream, and put the correct type of barrier cream on your lips.
• A good diet, rich in vitamins A, C and E, provides protection against the development of mouth cancer. Plenty of fruit and vegetables help the body to protect itself, in general, from most cancers.
• Try your best to cut down on your smoking and drinking.

REMEMBER: Regular visits to your dentist could save your life!