Mouth Cancer Screening

On examination your dentist will inspect not just your teeth but also the lining of your palate, tongue and cheeks to check for suspicious areas. Certain red or white patches can in a small percentage of cases develop into cancer and would need to be regularly monitored.

There are three main risk factors which dramatically increase the risks of developing oral cancer. The first two are smoking and heavy alcohol consumption which in combination increases the risks of developing oral cancer. The other factor is the chewing of tobacco or betel quid that is common in certain cultures.

Quit smoking http://smokefree.nhs.uk/  

Often the earliest indication of a cancerous lesion in the mouth is the presence of an ulcer that fails to heal within a three-week period. All patients must have any non-healing ulcer or suspicious area investigated by a dentist as soon as possible to exclude the possibility of it being cancerous.

For further information on oral health please visit British Dental Health Foundation https://www.dentalhealth.org/

For further information on oral cancer or http://www.mouthcancer.org/