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Oral cancer includes cancer of any part of the mouth or throat including the lips and tongue. It commonly occurs on the lining of the cheek, palate or gum tissue so it is very often a dentist that will spot the first signs of the disease. Dentists are fully trained to examine for all oral cancer during a routine check up appointment.
The first signs of oral cancer are usually small patches of sore or sensitive skin that don’t heal naturally. These are often pale coloured or white patches known as leukoplakia or darker, redder patches called erythroplakia, which may develop a burning sensation as the problem develops. They will also be very sensitive to hot and cold food and drink.
Some of the main causes for oral cancer are alcohol and tobacco. Strong links exist between alcohol consumption and the development of oral cancer, and smokers are over six times more likely to suffer from oral cancer. But it must be remembered that even people who neither drink nor smoke may still be affected, so it is always worth having any suspicious patches in the mouth examined.
Catching oral cancer early can help to improve the chances of surviving the disease by 80 per cent, so maintaining six-monthly appointments with a London dentist is crucial in the fight against the disease. If you have any sores in the mouth, unexplained bleeding of the gums or have experienced a sudden dramatic weight loss, make an appointment to see a London dentist to check for oral cancer.