How to Perform Monthly Oral Cancer Self-Checks

Oral cancer can be a scary and difficult diagnosis to receive, but most oral cancers are very treatable if caught early enough. This is why it’s so important to be performing monthly oral cancer self-checks, especially if you’re at a higher risk of oral cancer. Below are a few of the risk factors that can put you at a higher chance of developing oral cancer:

• Chewing tobacco
• Smoking cigarettes or cigars
• Alcohol abuse
• Habits of biting the lips or the inside of the cheeks
• Increased exposure to UV rays

In order to stay healthy and catch oral cancer quickly, it’s important to know the risk factors and the signs and symptoms of oral cancer.

Oral Cancer Self-Check

During an oral cancer self-check, you should be checking the face, neck, cheeks, lips, tongue, and roof of the mouth for the following signs or symptoms:

• Pain, tenderness, or areas of numbness
• Open sores that develop in the above areas and don’t heal within a week or two
• Bouts of bleeding from the mouth that takes a long time to stop
• Lumps, bumps, or areas or swelling
• Discolored patches including white, red, brown, and other abnormal coloring

If you suffer from the risk factors of oral cancer or are experiencing any of the above signs and symptoms of oral cancer, please make an appointment here at Balota Family Dentistry for an oral cancer screening. Our family dental office is located here in Colorado Springs, Colorado.