How Your Dental Visit Can Prevent or Detect Cancer

Part of your routine dental visit is a cancer screening test. Dentists and dental hygienists look at your mouth, tongue, and nearby tissue much more closely than you can. They can find pre-cancerous or cancerous spots in the early stages of growth. Cancer of the mouth is called oral cancer.

How do dentists check for oral cancer?

During your oral cancer screening exam, your dentist will look at and feel your face, neck, lips, mouth, tongue, thyroid gland, salivary glands, and lymph nodes. If you have dentures or partials, they should be taken out so that your whole mouth can be checked.

Am I at risk of oral cancer?

There are some known risk factors of oral cancer, such as:

• Smoking.
• Using smokeless tobacco.
• Using betel leaves.
• Drinking alcohol.
• Being male.
• Being over the age of 40.
• Having had a stem cell transplant. Researchers are studying a link between allogeneic stem cell transplants, mucositis, and Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) with higher risks of future oral cancer. 
• Infection with the Human papillomavirus (HPV). Oral cancer in younger people is on the rise because of the high rates of HPV infection. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that is known to cause cancers of the oral cavity, cervix, anus, penis, vagina, and vulva (learn more about HPV and cancer).
• Sun exposure (lip). 
• A diet low in fruits and vegetables.

Oral cancers can happen in people with no risk factors at all, so screening is important for everyone.

Below are the signs and symptoms of oral cancer. Tell your provider if you have any of these changes listed below. Many of these can be caused by non-cancerous (benign) conditions, but you should still visit your provider for more testing.

When should I call my provider?

Call your provider if you have:

• A sore that bleeds easily or does not heal.
• A change in color to your oral tissue.
• A lump, thickening, rough spot, crust, or small eroded (worn away) area.
• Pain, tenderness, or numbness anywhere in your mouth or on your lips.
• A hard time chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw or tongue.

More Information

• Mouth Healthy from The American Dental Association.
• The Oral Cancer Foundation: Screening information.