Cancer can affect any part of the body including the mouth. It is important to diagnose cancers as early as possible to improve the chances of cure.
When you have a dental check-up your dentist is not only assessing the health of your teeth they are also checking the soft tissues in and around the mouth for any signs of disease including cancer. This is why you should have a dental check at least once a year even if you have none of your teeth left and dentures.
Risk of developing mouth cancer increase with smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. In addition over exposure to sunlight increases the risk of cancer of the lips and face which your dentist is also trained to spot.
You should visit your dentist straight away if you are concerned about any aspect of your oral health but particularly if you notice any red or white patches or have mouth ulcers which are not healing after two weeks.
