Oral Cancer: Early Detection Can Save Your LIfe

Each year in the United States, more than 35,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed.  About 7,500 patients die from the disease every year.  Screening for early changes in your mouth, as well as your face and lips , can help detect cancer at a stage when it can be more successfully treated.  During a dental exam, your dentist will check these areas for lumps, bumps, and reoccurring sore areas.

What are the Signs of Oral Cancer?

• a persistent sore or irritation
• red or white patches
• pain, tenderness, or numbness in mouth or lips
• a lump, thickening, rough spot, crust, or small eroded area
• difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking , or moving your jaw or tongue
• a change in the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth

Am I at Risk for Cancer?

Anyone can get oral cancer.  However, it occurs most often in people who smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipes and drink heavily (30 drinks or more per week).  That combination is estimated to cause the majority of oral cancers diagnosed in the United States.  People who often spend long periods of time in the sun are also at higher risk for lip cancer.  Another risk factor is the use of smokeless tobacco products.  In addition, infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause cancer in certain parts of the oral cavity.