Edited by Dentaltown staff
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—This April, as the nation observes the 23rd Annual Oral Cancer Awareness Month, the Academy of General Dentistry Foundation, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Academy of Oral Medicine, the American Academy of Periodontology, the American College of Prosthodontics, the American Dental Hygienists' Association, the Canadian Dental Hygienists' Association and the California Dental Hygienists' Association are again joining the non-profit Oral Cancer Foundation in its campaign to raise awareness of the opportunity of oral cancer screenings, and the importance of early detection.
Regular oral cancer examinations performed by your oral health professional remain the best method for detecting oral cancer in its early stages.
For the fourth straight year, the efforts of the Foundation and the dental associations cited above will be bolstered by the Oral Cancer Foundation's Check Your Mouth initiative. Check Your Mouth encourages the public to regularly check for signs and symptoms of oral cancer between dental visits at home, and to see a dental professional if they do not improve or disappear after two or three weeks.
Signs and symptoms of oral cancer which is predominantly caused by tobacco usage and/or excessive alcohol usage may include one or more of the following:
Any sore or ulceration that does not heal within 14 days.
A red, white, or black discoloration of the soft tissues of the mouth.
Any abnormality that bleeds easily when touched (friable).
A lump or hard spot in the tissue, usually border of the tongue (induration).
Tissue raised above that which surrounds it; a growth (exophytic).
A sore under a denture, which even after adjustment of the denture, does not heal.
A lump or thickening that develops in the mouth.
A painless, firm, fixated lump felt on the outside of the neck, which has been there for at least two weeks.
All the above symptoms have the commonality of being persistent and not resolving.
Signs and symptoms of HPV-caused oropharyngeal cancer may include one or more of the following (which may persist longer than two-three weeks):
Hoarseness or sore throat that does not resolve within a few weeks.
A swollen tonsil on just one side. This is usually painless.
A painless, firm, fixated lump felt on the outside of the neck, which has been there for at least two weeks.
A persistent cough that does not resolve after many days.
Difficulty swallowing; a sensation that food is getting caught in your throat.
An earache on one side (unilateral) which persists for more than a few days.
All the above symptoms have the commonality of being persistent and not resolving.
For more information about oral cancer and its diagnosis and treatment, visit oralcancer.org.