Oral cancer can occur on the lips, inside the mouth, the back of the throat, the tonsils, or the salivary glands among other places. It affects men more often than women, and mainly people older than 40 years.

For a patient to detect the symptoms of oral cancer is not that difficult. You can start feeling some discomfort in some areas not only in your mouth and lips but also in your throat and neck. Some symptoms could be a sore on the lips, on the gums or inside your mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal; a lump or thickening on the cheek that you can perceive with the tongue; loss of sensation or numbness in any part of the mouth; white or red patches on the gums, tongue or inside the mouth.

Also, if you feel some difficulty chewing or swelling food, unexplained pain in the mouth or maybe a weird feeling of clogging in the throat and a different sound of your voice or speaking with difficulty; they should all bring your attention to visit immediately your dentist.

There is the importance of regular dental and medical examinations. Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can affect the dental health of patients. Common cancer symptoms include dry mouth. Also, a burning sensation in the mouth or throat; and common oral infections.

Smoking in combination with heavy alcohol are key risk factors. It’s been extensively tested that smoking does not only affect your lungs and heart, smoking is detrimental to your overall health and makes it difficult for your immune system to fight infections or to recover from wounds and surgeries.

If your are a person that wears a partial or a permanent denture. A symptom could also be reflected by a very strong swelling of the jaw, causing the prosthesis not to fit properly.

If you need more information about Oral Cancer, symptoms and need an evaluation with a dental expert, please call us today to 954.476.0770. Dr. Mauricio Hervas at Implantation Dental Center will be pleased to assist you.