Your best chance of surviving oral cancer is to catch it at its early stages. This is why a regular screening is an important part of the experience with our Bellingham dentist. However, you can also be on the lookout for the warning signs yourself. These signs include all of the following:
- Feelings of pain, tenderness, or loss of sensation in your face, mouth, neck, or ear.
Lumps, or rough, crusty, or eroded areas around the lips, inside your mouth, or in your neck. - Patches of velvety red or white in your mouth, or a patch that is speckled red and white.
- Unexplained bleeding in your oral cavity.
- A bleeding sore in your face, neck, or mouth that doesn’t heal by itself after a couple of weeks.
- A persistent sore throat, or a persistent feeling that you have something caught in the back of your throat.
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or other decreased mobility in either your jaw or tongue.
- Persistent trouble speaking, including hoarseness or slurred speech.
- Your teeth no longer fit together they way they usually do.
- Sudden weight loss.
Any one of these could indicate oral cancer, or it could point to something different. Only your dentist can properly diagnose you. Should you experience any of the signs listed here, contact Tetrick Family Dentistry right away.