Blog

November is Mouth Cancer Action Month

1 person is lost to mouth cancer every 3 hours, and more people die from it in the UK than from cervical and testicular cancer combined (source: Mouth Cancer Foundation).

November is Mouth Cancer Action month, something we’re strong supporters of here at Parbold Dental which is why we include some simple checks at every hygiene or check up appointment you have with us.

If you’re concerned about your oral health then please talk to us, and read on for more information about symptoms of mouth cancer and how you can check and maintain your oral health at home.

Symptoms of Mouth Cancer

Also known as oral cancer, mouth cancer can present in various ways inside your mouth.

Tumours may develop on the surface of your tongue, inside your cheeks, the roof of your mouth or your gums or lips. Less common areas include in your saliva glands, tonsils and windpipe.

There are a number of symptoms to look out for and the most common of these include painful ulcers and unexplained lumps in the mouth or the lymph glands in your neck that don’t go away after a few weeks.

Symptoms aren’t restricted to these few differences, and we strongly recommend seeing your dentist or GP if you notice any of these, particularly if you regularly drink alcohol or smoke:

• pain or difficulty swallowing
• changes in your voice or problems with speech
• bleeding or numbness in the mouth
• 1 or more teeth that becomes loose for no obvious reason, or a tooth socket that does not heal after a tooth is removed
• difficulty moving your jaw

Am I At Risk of Mouth Cancer?

The prominent causes of mouth cancer is the regular consumption of tobacco and alcohol. If you frequently use both, then your risk of developing oral cancer increases even further.

85% of all head and neck cancers are associated with tobacco; and it’s not just smoking cigarettes or cigars that can place you in danger, chewing tobacco also contains carcinogens that can alter your DNA and lead to serious health issues.

Pipe smoking is shown to cause issues predominantly where the pipe touches the lips and chewing tobacco is shown to affect the cheeks, where the tobacco has more contact.

Secondhand smoke can also contribute to oral cancers.

Other factors that can contribute to mouth cancer:

HPV – infection of human papillomavirus has been shown to be a contributing factor to oral cancer, with the tonsils and tongue becoming more prevalent.

Spending too much time in the sun without protection is linked to cancer of the lip area.

Men are more likely to develop these types of cancers than women and those with fair skin are linked to a higher risk of lip cancer.

A lack of dental care, resulting in poor oral hygiene or persistent irritation from ill fitting dentures can cause cavity cancer, and this risk again increases if you regularly use tobacco or alcohol.

We’d also recommend having jagged, or broken teeth looked at as soon as possible so they don’t cause persistent ulcers on your cheeks or tongue as cancer has been linked with long-standing wounds.

How to Check For Mouth Cancer at Home

There are some simple checks that you can carry out at home to look for changes that could indicate mouth cancer.

Remember that some changes could be natural but if you’re concerned or have lumps that haven’t reduced or disappeared within 3 weeks then please make an appointment with your dentist or GP.

Before checking, make sure you have clean fingers, a mirror and good light. If you’re finding it difficult or have visual impairment then you may wish to have a friend or family member help you.

Remember you’re checking for any lumps, red or white patches, changes in texture or colour or anything else out of the ordinary for you.

Face

First of all, look at your whole face in the mirror. Take time to look for lumps that you haven’t noticed before or if there are any changes to your skin such as moles that have started to bleed. If you slowly turn your head from side to side you will stretch the skin over your muscles and make lumps easier to see.

Neck

Using the balls of your fingertips, run your fingers under your jawline and move along the large muscle that’s located either side of your neck to see if there are lumps or changes that weren’t there before.

Lips

Feel around the inside of your mouth  and pull your upper lip up and bottom lip downward to inspect inside. You’re looking for any sores or changes in colour as well as any changes in texture. Also feel around the inside and outside of your gums to check for anything unusual.

Cheeks

Again, you’re looking for ulcers, lumps or change to texture on the inside of your cheeks. Run your finger along the inside of your cheek and also open your mouth and pull your cheek away, one side at a time, to have a look inside.

Tongue

Poke out your tongue and look at both sides as well as on the top and bottom. You can press gently on the floor of your mouth while your tongue is pressed to the roof of your mouth to feel for changes in texture.

Roof of the Mouth

Tilt your head back and open your mouth as wide as you can to check the roof of your mouth for symptoms such as a change in colour or ulcers. Use your finger to check for texture changes that might not be noticeable by the eye.

Don’t just check and forget, make a note of anything that is different even if you can attribute it to something like a bitten cheek or burn from a pizza. Burns, ulcers, swollen glands etc should all heal within 3 weeks.

How to Prevent Mouth Cancer

There are no proven ways to prevent mouth cancer completely however by reducing your exposure to the factors that can contribute to it, you can reduce your risk.

This includes eliminating tobacco and alcohol from your diet. If you choose to drink alcohol then stick to the recommended guidelines (for healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger).

Reducing your lips’ exposure to the sun by wearing adequate sunscreen if you’re out and about – a wide brimmed hat won’t go amiss either.

And, make sure you attend regular check ups with your dentist. As standard, we carry out a number of checks to make sure your oral hygiene is good and monitor any changes that we notice when you attend any check up or hygiene appointment.

If you’re concerned about any changes in your mouth or you would like to know more about to reduce your risk of oral cancer then please contact one our team.

---