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A step-by-step guide to checking for early signs of mouth cancer; red flags you should not miss

Being informed is being well-armed. Look for these signs and symptoms of mouth cancer which can help nip the menace in the bud. These are simple checks you can either carry out at home as self-inspection or have your doctor evaluate when you have your next dental checkup due.

Kirti Pandey

Updated May 4, 2022, 18:37 IST

Check your oral cavity for early signs of cancer (Photo: Pixabay)

Your dentist should not be just an emergency treatment provider. There is a big reason why you must have regular dental check-ups. One of them is the net result that a dentist can catch the early signs of oral cancer during a routine checkup session.

As part of a routine dental exam, ask your dentist to inspect your entire mouth for abnormal areas that may indicate mouth cancer or precancerous changes.

One must treat mouth cancer on time to increase recovery chances and to stop the spread to the head and neck area.

Left untreated, the accumulating abnormal mouth cancer cells can form a tumour and slowly as well as stealthily spread inside the mouth and onto other areas of the head and neck or other parts of the body.

5 factors especially leave one prone to develop oral cancer:

Tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, etc.)
Heavy alcohol use
Excessive sun exposure to your lips
A sexually transmitted virus called human papillomavirus (HPV)
A weakened immune system (due to illness or medicines)

A quick self-oral examination: This exercise can help you find if there are any abnormalities in the mouth region. Following are the signs that you need to look out for when you are examining your mouth region:

Face: Do you see any unusual contours or swellings on your skin? Any moles that were not there earlier, especially the kind that are growing and itching as well as bleeding?
Neck: This is one exercise you should do throughout your adult life, at least once a fortnight. Run your fingers under your jaw and feel along with the large muscle on either side of your jaw. Use the soft pads of your fingers to run across and feel any difference or anomaly. Ideally, both sides should feel similar.
Lips: Are there any ulcers that are not healing well? Or a numbness - an unexplained odd feeling? Use your index finger and thumb to feel the inside of your mouth. Pull your upper lip upwards and the bottom lip downwards. Look inside for any ulcers of changes in colours.
Gums: Gums that bleed though you had healthy gums earlier - should be a red flag. Use your index, or thumb and forefinger to feel around the gums and look for anything unusual, out of place, or a gum injury that has not healed for long or even worsened.
Cheeks: When you look inside your mouth, do you see any discolouration? Open your mouth and inspect the insides of the cheeks by pulling each side - one side at a time. Do you see red or white patches? Any ulcers, redness, lumpy structures, tenderness? Check on both sides, use the tongue to feel inside of the mouth for sores, ulcers, rough patches.
Tongue: Several types of cancer can affect the tongue, but tongue cancer most often begins in the thin, flat squamous cells that line the surface of the tongue. Tongue cancer located in the area inside the mouth is easily treatable with surgical removal and follow-up. Tongue cancer that begins at the base of the tongue tends to be diagnosed when cancer has spread to lymph nodes on the neck. Stick your tongue out and check the whole surface. Pull your tongue from one side and then to the other. Check under the tongue by touching the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
Floor and roof of the mouth: Don't ignore this patch as it is a vital component of the oral cavity and therefore as susceptible to mouth cancer as the other parts of the oral cavity. Inspect the roof of your mouth, also cleanse your hands and check with your fingertips.

The Bottom Line:

When it comes to cancer screening, it is better to look or even seem silly and rather be safe instead, than be sorry. Make an appointment with your doctor or dentist if you have any persistent signs and symptoms that bother you and last more than two weeks. Your doctor will also rule out other more common causes for your signs and symptoms first. For all you know, it is a small oral health condition that has a quick fix.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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