Early Symptoms of Oral Cancer

Oral Cancer is a serious disease that can change your life in the blink of an eye. Early detection is the key to an effective treatment. However, if the early signs are ignored, it might even result in your death. Our dentists at Nelson Ridge Family Dental have compiled a list of warning signs for you to look out for. The persistence of these signs is unnatural and you must seek dental care in case it happens.

What is Oral Cancer?

Just as the name suggests, oral or mouth cancer takes place inside your oral cavity. It primarily develops on the tongue, at the back of your mouth, or on your gum tissue linings. In the beginning, the cancerous patches don’t feel painful at all which is why people tend to ignore them. There are several risk factors associated with this disease. The most common ones are excessive tobacco and alcohol consumption. 

Early Warning Signs Of Oral Cancer

Just like other forms of cancer, early detection can lead to successful treatment of your oral cancer. There are so many things that we are unaware of and must know about our teeth. But a dental professional knows these facts and is the safest to consult one in case these signs manifest.

Red Patches

Red patches or erythroplakia are often precancerous. However, if left unmanaged, they have the potential to turn into cancerous growths. The texture of these patches is velvety and early diagnosis of these abnormal growths can help you to combat cancer with ease.

White or Grey Patches

Just like erythroplakia, white growths also tend to turn cancerous if left untreated. Clinically called leukoplakia they are usually white with a greyish tint. They are commonly found on your lips or inside your oral cavity. They could be caused due to decaying teeth, broken dentures, or overexposure to carcinogenic substances. These patches take time to grow and in most cases are benign. Early treatment can cure them and prevent them from turning malignant.

Tongue Sores

Red patches underneath your tongue or on the back of your teeth then you could be early signs of mouth cancer. You must examine your oral cavity once a month to detect such sores on your tongue. Gently pull your tongue out with clean hands and carefully inspect under it. Check for abnormal red lumps. You can also use a magnifying mirror to check inside your mouth for red-colored sores.

Unusual Lumps

Look out for abnormal chunks inside your mouth. It could be anywhere on your gums, throat, or your neck area. Such lumps often develop on your gums due to abscess formation or any sort of distress. However, these lumps could also be cancerous and must be examined by the dentist instantaneously.

Difficulty in Chewing

Oral cancer can change your eating patterns drastically and make it extremely difficult for you to chew and swallow food. One of the most common symptoms of oesophageal cancer is difficulty in swallowing food. You might feel like you are choking on your food and feel an increasing pressure while swallowing food items.

We hope this blog has provided you with the required information to detect early signs of oral cancer. The best precaution is to opt for oral screening. If you are looking for oral cancer screening in New Lenox, IL then feel free to walk through our doors.