Oral cancer refers to cancers of the head and neck. It includes cancer of the lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, salivary glands, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses and pharynx. Brain cancer falls in a different category.
If you have any of the following, see your dentist:
- Swelling, ulcer or any type of growth in the oral cavity or around the mouth
- White or red patches on lips, gum, tongue or mouth lining
- A lump that can be felt inside the mouth or on the neck
- Pain or difficulty chewing, swallowing or speaking
- Continued hoarseness of voice
- Numbness or pain in any area of the mouth that doesn’t go away
- Swelling of the upper or lower jaw
- Sudden loosening of teeth
- Difficulty in wearing dentures
- Bleeding in any part of the mouth
- A sore that doesn’t go away on the lips or in the mouth
- An earache that doesn’t go away
- Oral bleeding
- Difficulty in opening the mouth
- Persistent bad breath
- Weight loss
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