The Warning Signs of Oral Cancer

When you get screened for oral cancer at our Bellevue dental clinic, we’re looking for unhealthy tissues developing in your lips, on your tongue, inside your cheeks, on the floor of your mouth or on your hard palate. The processes we use are easy and reliable, but there is also a lot you can be doing to look out for cancerous growths between your regular dental check-ups. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms, and call your dentist right away if you think you are in danger:

• Unusual lumps, swollen areas, rough spots, crusts, or eroded regions on the lips or anywhere inside the mouth.
• Velvety white or red patches in the mouth, or a speckled white and red patch.
• Inexplicable bleeding in the mouth.
• Numbness or loss of feeling in the face, mouth, neck, or ear.
• Inexplicable pain or tenderness in the face, mouth, neck or ear.
• Sores in the face, neck or mouth area that bleed easily and persist for at least two weeks.
• A sore throat, or a feeling that you have something caught in the back of your throat.
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or moving your jaw or tongue.
• Persistent hoarseness.
• Slurred speech or other changes in your voice.
• A change in the alignment of your teeth.
• Weight loss.
• A lump in your neck.