When was the last time you were screened for oral cancer? In the United States, at least 40,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer every year. If you begin to notice any abnormalities in your oral health, get a checkup or cancer screening immediately, as the sooner cancer is detected the more likely you are to recover.

Listed below are the most common forms of oral cancer:

• Ear pain is felt, or there is numbness and loss of feeling in the mouth and positions around the face and neck.
• A feeling that something is caught in the back of your throat could be an indicator of oral cancer.
• Changes with your teeth’s placement, including how well they align and how well you can open and close your mouth.
• Changes in the degrees of effort for chewing, speaking, eating, or swallowing.
• Sores in your mouth, neck, or face that do not heal beyond 2 weeks that continue to bleed easily.
• Visible signs of bumps, lumps, crusts, swelling, rough spots, or eroded areas in your mouth.
• A persistent sore throat or change in your vocal patterns that does not go away.
• There are white, red, or speckled patches on your gum tissue.
• Constant bleeding often occurs from the mouth.
• Uncommon weight loss could be a sign of cancer.

If you would like to speak with Syringa Dental and Implants or to schedule an oral cancer screening with Dr. Patrick Loftus or Dr. Logan Hazard in Post Falls, Idaho, simply give us a call at 208-777-0292. Thanks for visiting with a smile!