Many dentists routinely check for mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. So they are often the first people to spot the early signs of cancer. If the dentist suspects cancer they can refer you to a specialist. Report any changes to your GP or dentist, especially if you smoke and drink a lot of alcohol.
The dentist does not diagnose oral cancer during the screening. Instead, the dentist looks for suspicious spots or abnormalities. If such a spot is discovered, a biopsy is recommended. The biopsied tissue is sent to a lab for diagnosis.
Oral cancers can be detected early during a routine dental exam. Patients should discuss with the dentist any new concerns they have, even if these concerns do not specifically deal with teeth.
Dental X-rays can show some types of oral cancer — particularly cancer that either started in or spread to your jaw. But X-rays can't detect all types of mouth cancer. That's why routine oral cancer screenings are so important.
Oral cancers develop on the tongue, the tissue lining the mouth and gums, under the tongue, at the base of the tongue, and the area of the throat at the back of the mouth. Oral cancer accounts for roughly three percent of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States, or about 53,000 new cases each year.
More than 90 percent of cancers that occur in the oral cavity are squamous cell carcinomas.
Why you might have a CT scan. You might have this test to see if your cancer has spread from your mouth or oropharynx to other parts of your body. A head and neck CT will show the size of the cancer and any enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. A chest and abdominal (tummy) CT may show other signs of cancer spread.
In many cases, a dentist may be the first health care provider to diagnose a health problem in its early stages since many people have regular oral examinations and see their dentist more often than their physician.
Mouth sores that easily bleed and do not heal. Loose teeth. Red or white patches on the tonsils, gums, tongue, or the mouth lining. Having a thickening or a lump on the cheek, gums, lips, or neck.
Sometimes a routine dental checkup can uncover lymphoma, a type of cancer, before other signs are even present. And while a cancer discovery is not welcomed, early detection is.
Overall, 11.5 adults per 100,000 will develop oral cancer. Oral cancer incidence rates are significantly higher for males than for females; the incidence rate for all ages in males is nearly three times greater for males than for females.
The stakes are higher with oral cancer because the disease can take years before it develops in your mouth. Many people may not develop cancer until they are over 55 years.
A 2017 study found that some people survive oral cancer long-term, even without treatment. The 5-year survival rate without treatment for people diagnosed with early stage oral cancer was 31.1%. The 5-year survival rate without treatment for people diagnosed with stage 4 oral cancer was 12.6%.
"There are two basic ways that oral cancers present in the mouth — as white patches or red patches," says Dr. Kain. "Red patches are a bit more concerning than white patches, but either needs to be evaluated if it doesn't go away after several weeks."
Oral cancer is fairly common. It can be cured if found and treated at an early stage (when it's small and has not spread). A healthcare provider or dentist often finds oral cancer in its early stages because the mouth and lips are easy to examine. Almost all oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
Red flag 1: Persistent unexplained head and neck lumps for >3 weeks. Red flag 2: An ulceration or unexplained swelling of the oral mucosa persisting for >3 weeks. Red flag 3: All red or mixed red and white patches of the oral mucosa persisting for >3 weeks.
Mouth cancer tends not to cause any noticeable symptoms during the initial stages of the disease. This is why it's important to have regular dental check-ups, particularly if you are a smoker, a heavy drinker or a betel chewer, because a dentist may often be able to detect the condition during an examination.
Mouth cancer, also known as oral cancer or cancer of the oral cavity, is often used to describe a number of cancers that start in the region of the mouth. These most commonly occur on the lips, tongue and floor of the mouth but can also start in the cheeks, gums, roof of the mouth, tonsils and salivary glands.
Most oral cancers are a type called squamous cell carcinoma. These cancers tend to spread quickly. Smoking and other tobacco use are linked to most cases of oral cancer.