{"id":860,"date":"2016-03-15T17:03:30","date_gmt":"2016-03-15T17:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/the-seven-most-common-signs-of-oral-cancer\/"},"modified":"2021-08-02T07:18:50","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T07:18:50","slug":"the-seven-most-common-signs-of-oral-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/dental-blog\/the-seven-most-common-signs-of-oral-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Seven Most Common Signs of Oral Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

The most important part of your bi-annual dental checkup has nothing to do with your teeth.\u00a0During these exams, your\u00a0general dentist<\/a>\u00a0will screen you for oral cancer.<\/strong>\u00a0Oral cancer can affect different areas of your mouth and throat, including the voice box, the tonsils, the back of the tongue, and the soft palate (the soft spot at the roof of your mouth). The screening is painless. Your dentist will look into your throat, examine your mouth, and touch your neck to feel your lymph nodes. Why is this screening so vital? Because\u00a0oral cancer has a higher death rate than most other cancers<\/a>. However, if you suspect that you have any of\u00a0these seven most common signs of oral cancer<\/a>, don’t wait for your annual appointment to see your dentist.<\/p>\n

Signs of Oral Cancer<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Painful mouth sores that do not heal (non-healing ulcers)<\/li>\n
  2. Hoarseness or voice changes that do not go away<\/li>\n
  3. Numbness in the mouth and tongue<\/li>\n
  4. White or red patches on gums, tonsils or tongue<\/li>\n
  5. Loose teeth<\/li>\n
  6. Unexplained weight loss<\/li>\n
  7. Bad breath<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Avoiding Oral Cancer<\/h2>\n

    There are several precautions you can take to dramatically\u00a0reduce your risk<\/a>\u00a0for oral cancer:<\/p>\n