Oral Cancer
The mouth is an important area of the body, where early warning signs of oral cancer can manifest. Undergoing regular examinations is very helpful in the early recognition and detection of oral cancer. Scientific research has identified various factors that may contribute to oral cancer, and the most common ones are the use of tobacco and alcohol. Other factors also include poor oral hygiene, poor nutrition, some chronic infections, and irritation caused by rough surfaces on teeth and poor-fitting dentures. If you have risk factors for oral cancer, then it is important for you to see your dental care provider or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for an annual exam.
When performing an examination for oral cancer, the health care provider looks for the following signs:
- White patches of the oral tissues
- Red patches of the oral tissues
- White and red patches of the oral tissues
- A sore inside the mouth that does not heal, and bleeds easily
- An abnormal lump inside the mouth
- Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
- A mass or lump in the neck
- Any other abnormalities in the mouth
If your health care provider or oral and maxillofacial surgeon sees that something looks suspicious, then they may recommend a biopsy (biopsy is removal of a piece of the suspicious tissue, which is then sent to a laboratory for a microscopic examination). The biopsy report will then help establish a diagnosis, and will assist the doctor to formulate a specific plan of treatment. Please visit our Resources page to locate an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon near you.
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