The tongue and the floor of the mouth are the most common area for oral cancer. If you use tobacco or alcohol, are over the age of 40, or you are a male, you are at a higher risk of developing oral cancer.
Symptoms of oral cancer:
1. White or red patches in your mouth
2. A mouth sore that won’t heal within three weeks
3. Bleeding in your mouth
4. Loose teeth – Unexplained tooth mobility for more than three weeks
5. Problems or pains with swallowing
6. A lump in your neck for more than three weeks
7. An earache
8. A lump or overgrowth of tissue any where in the mouth
Treatment for oral cancer may include the following: surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Reference by: National Institutes of Health
Remember, If you are concerned that you may have signs of oral cancer, you should visit your doctor and not the dentist. Yours doctor who will be able to advise on a course of treatment, so it is their expertise that you should seek if you are worried that you may have the symptoms. We can give you our opinion and recommend a doctor for you.