Worried about oral cancer? 5 signs you need to see our dentist for screening
Are you finding it harder to chew and swallow food? Do you have oral ulcers that you cannot get rid of?
If so, you need to see our team.
As scary as it is to consider, the rates of oral cancer are rising in the UK and in fact globally, making it all the more important to see your dental team regularly for check-ups. If you are in a worrying place where you aren’t sure if you have oral cancer, don’t worry! With early detection and treatment, it has one of the highest survival rates of all cancers and so, you should really see a member of our team if you have concerns.
Because at Aura Dental, we know how important it is to screen for oral cancer and so, our dentist in St Johns Wood provides all of our patients with cancer screening as part of our biannual check-ups. If you have concerns about cancer between check-ups, however, please contact us right away so we can help.
But what are some of the signs of oral cancer to look out for at home? Our dentist in St Johns Wood answers that question below.
It’s hard to chew and swallow
If you are having issues biting into food, chewing it or swallowing, then you need to see our dentist in St Johns Wood for a check-up.
If you are suffering from a cold or flu, then these problems could be due to inflammation or may even signify a long-term undiagnosed allergy. However, if they persist for more than 2 weeks, come and see our team.
Weight loss
Unexpected weight loss is always worrying and should always be explored by a medical team.
As before, just because you have lost weight, it doesn’t immediately point to the big c, but may once again highlight an issue with food intolerance, allergies or even stress and mental health issues.
But if you have seen a doctor and all of these issues have been screened for, you may need to see our team for oral cancer screening.
Recurrent ulcers
From time to time, most people get oral ulcers; usually due to stress or illness.
But if you are noticing consistently occurring ulcers in your mouth, on your tongue or on your lips (they can look like a cold sore) then you need to see our team.
If one of the ulcers grows to the size of a 5 pence piece or larger, seek emergency medical assistance.
You can’t move your tongue and jaw correctly
As you may have guessed, if you struggle to stick out your tongue or are having issues with jaw movement, this could point to a hidden tumour underneath your tongue or in the jawline or joint. Of course, it could also indicate nerve issues, but nevertheless, if you notice that your tongue feels heavy, is not as mobile as it once was or is just feeling stiff, then you should contact our team for an oral cancer check.