Every November is Mouth Cancer Action Month, a campaign run by the Oral Health Foundation under one simple message: if in doubt, get checked out. At Dentistar we support it because mouth cancer is one of the few cancers you can often spot yourself, simply by looking in the mirror.
Caught early, mouth cancer is far easier to treat. Caught late, treatment is longer, harder and can affect how you eat, speak and look. The difference is usually just a few weeks of noticing something and acting on it.
Signs you should never ignore
- A mouth ulcer that has not healed within 3 weeks
- Red or white patches on the gums, tongue, cheeks or floor of the mouth
- A lump or thickening in the mouth, lips or neck that does not go away
- Persistent numbness or an unusual feeling on the lip or tongue
- A loose tooth with no obvious reason, or a socket that does not heal after an extraction
- Changes in your voice or speech, or difficulty swallowing
Most of these turn out to be something harmless. But any of them lasting longer than 3 weeks deserves a professional look.
Who is at higher risk?
Anyone can develop mouth cancer, but the risk is higher if you:
- smoke or use any form of tobacco
- drink alcohol regularly, and especially if you both smoke and drink
- have had HPV (human papillomavirus) infection
- spend a lot of time in the sun without lip protection (for cancer of the lip)
- are over 40, although cases in younger people are increasing
The 2-minute self-check: once a month
Do it in good light, in front of a mirror, with clean hands. Remove any dentures first. The best time is after brushing your teeth, on the same day each month.
- Face and neck. Look at both sides of your face and neck for any swelling that is only on one side. Then gently feel under your jaw and down both sides of your neck for lumps or tender areas.
- Lips. Pull your lower lip down and your upper lip up. Look for sores, colour changes or lumps, and feel the lips between your thumb and finger.
- Gums. Look at the gums all the way around, front and back. Any red or white patch, swelling or sore that does not heal is worth noting.
- Cheeks. Pull each cheek out with a finger and look inside. Run your finger along the inside to feel for lumps or rough areas.
- Tongue. Stick your tongue out and look at the top. Then move it to the left and right to check the sides, the most common place for mouth cancer, and lift it up to see underneath.
- Floor of the mouth. With the tongue lifted, look at the floor of your mouth. Then press gently with a finger underneath, with your other hand under your chin, to feel for lumps.
- Roof of the mouth. Tilt your head back, open wide and look at the roof of your mouth. Run a finger along it to feel for swelling.
What if you find something? Do not panic, as most changes are harmless. Note where it is and check again in a week or two. If it is still there after 3 weeks, or it grows, bleeds or hurts, book a check with your dentist.
Why regular dental visits still matter
A self-check is a great habit, but it has limits. You cannot see the back of your tongue or throat well, early changes can be tiny and painless, and it is hard to judge what is normal for your own mouth. That is where your dentist comes in.
At every check-up at Dentistar, we look beyond your teeth:
- A full soft-tissue examination of your lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, floor and roof of the mouth, and the glands of your neck. It takes a few minutes and is completely painless.
- OralID fluorescence screening. A special light that helps us see changes in the tissue that can be invisible in normal light, so suspicious areas can be checked earlier.
- A record over time. Because we see you regularly, we notice what has changed since your last visit, which you cannot do on your own.
- Fast referral if needed. If we find anything that needs a closer look, we explain it clearly and arrange the right specialist without delay.
We recommend a check-up every 6 months, or more often if you smoke, drink regularly or have had mouth problems before. You can read more about mouth cancer in our article Mouth Cancer.
Book your check this November
Mouth Cancer Action Month is the perfect reminder. Do your 2-minute self-check today, and if it has been more than 6 months since your last visit, book a check-up with us.
Book online, call 22 515041 or send us a WhatsApp message at 99 499022.
This article is for general information and does not replace a professional examination.
