On February 4th it is World Cancer Day 2020. It is a day that raises awareness and spreads the important messages about cancer prevention and detection that can save people’s lives. We are passionate about oral cancer prevention and detection at Bosham Clinic Dental, offering our patients advice while looking for signs of oral cancer during routine examinations.
Oral cancer and symptoms
Tumours can develop in areas of the mouth such as tongue, roof of mouth, cheeks, gums, lips, saliva glands, tonsils and other parts of the throat. A few symptoms of mouth cancer can include the following:
- Painful mouth ulcers that will not heal
- Numbness of tongue and lips
- Abnormal patches in the mouth or throat (normally white and red in colour)
- Teeth becoming loose for no reason
- Difficulty swallowing (often painful)
- Mouth bleeding
- Difficulty in jaw movement and problems with speech
It is important to note that many of these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, however, we do recommend that you see your dentist when experiencing any pain or discomfort, so infections can be treated and for any health issues to be detected.
Prevention
There are factors that have been identified as giving patients an increased risk of mouth cancer such as tobacco usage, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and excessive exposure to sun to name a few. We advise our patients to attend regular dental check-ups in and routine screenings for early detection of disease.
If you are experiencing any symptoms that are causing pain and discomfort or notice any changes that you are unsure or concerned about book an appointment with one of our dental professionals. We are currently accepting new private patients, contact us today!
Comments are closed.