Oral cancer is a severely debilitating disease that is found in over 42,000 new patients every year in the United States. One of the most important facts to remember about cancer is that success often relies on finding the disease at its earliest stages.
Always being mindful of your current oral health status can help you identify symptoms that may go ignored. For more information about what to look for, consider the following:
– Commonly, oral cancer can cause your throat to be sore and raw and can give you the sensation of a constant lump in your throat.
– When looking for abnormal signs, check for speckled patches, bumps, rough patches, and swelling or eroded areas that cannot be easily clarified.
– Weakened functions such as speaking and eating.
– Numbness or loss of sensitivity in your facial areas.
– Failure to heal quickly and effectively within two weeks of an open sore or wound first appearing.
– Continued bleeding from your mouth that does not easily heal.
– Irregular symptoms accompanying oral cancer can include drastic weight loss and malocclusions.
If you are ready to take the next step with an oral cancer screening, set an appointment with London Bridge Smiles at our dentist office in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dr. Alan Kessler and the rest of our team can be reached at 757-340-8805. We look forward to having you as our guest and providing you with a screening soon.