An oral cancer screening is a quick, painless check that is part of a thorough exam. Finding changes early gives the best chance of successful treatment.
What we do
- Look at your lips, tongue, floor of the mouth, cheeks, palate and throat
- Feel the neck, jaw and the area under the chin for lumps
- Note anything that looks or feels different from your last visit
Signs worth getting checked
- A sore or ulcer that has not healed after about two weeks
- White or red patches in the mouth
- A lump or thickened area
- Numbness, pain or trouble swallowing or moving the tongue or jaw that does not go away
- A change in the way your teeth fit together
Risk factors
Tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, HPV infection and long sun exposure on the lips raise the risk, but oral cancer can affect people without any of these. If you notice a change between visits, call us rather than waiting for your next check-up.