Oral Cancer: The Early Signs and Why Your Dentist Checks for It
- Star Light Dental
- August 13, 2026
- [email protected]
Most people think of a dental check-up as an inspection of their teeth. It is also a screen of the lips, cheeks, tongue, palate and throat for cancer. That part takes about two minutes, it is painless, and most patients never notice it happening.
Oral cancer is not the most common cancer, but it is one where timing is everything. Found early, it is very treatable. Found late, it is not. Dentists are often the first to spot it.
1. What Is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer can develop on the lips, the tongue, the floor of the mouth, the gums, the inside of the cheeks, the palate and the back of the throat. Thousands of Australians are diagnosed with cancers of the mouth and throat every year. It is more common in men and in people over 45, but it is being seen increasingly in younger adults who have never smoked.
2. Who Is Most at Risk?
- Tobacco in any form, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes and chewing tobacco.
- Alcohol, especially heavy or regular drinking. Smoking and drinking together multiply the risk rather than just adding to it.
- Betel nut, paan and areca nut chewing, which is a well-established cause of mouth cancer.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV), which is linked to cancers at the back of the throat.
- Sun exposure, for cancer of the lip. Outdoor workers are particularly at risk.
- Age, a poor diet and a previous head or neck cancer.
Around a quarter of oral cancers occur in people with none of the major risk factors, which is why everyone is screened.
3. The Warning Signs
- an ulcer or sore that has not healed within two weeks
- a white or red patch on the gums, tongue or lining of the mouth
- a lump, thickening or rough area
- unexplained bleeding or numbness
- difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving the tongue or jaw
- a persistent sore throat, hoarseness or the feeling of something caught in the throat
- a lump in the neck
- teeth that become loose for no clear reason, or dentures that suddenly stop fitting
Early oral cancer is often painless. Do not wait for it to hurt. Most of these signs turn out to have an innocent cause, such as a common mouth ulcer, but only an examination can tell.
4. What Happens at a Screening
At every routine check-up we look at and feel the lips, the inside of the cheeks, the gums, the top, sides and underside of the tongue, the floor of the mouth, the palate and the back of the throat, and we check the neck and under the jaw for lumps. If we see something that concerns us, we may review it after two weeks to see whether it has healed, or refer you promptly to a specialist for assessment and, if needed, a biopsy.
5. Checking Your Own Mouth
Once a month, stand in front of a mirror in good light and take two minutes:
- Look at and feel your lips, inside and out.
- Pull your cheeks out and check the lining.
- Stick out your tongue and look at the top, both sides and underneath.
- Tilt your head back to see the roof of your mouth, and say ah to see the back of your throat.
- Run your fingers along your jaw and down both sides of your neck.
You are looking for anything new, anything that has changed and anything that has been there for more than two weeks.
6. Reducing Your Risk
- If you smoke, stopping is the single most effective thing you can do. Quitline is on 13 7848.
- Keep alcohol within the national guidelines.
- If you chew betel nut or paan, talk to your GP about stopping.
- Use a lip balm with SPF and wear a hat outdoors.
- HPV vaccination is offered free to adolescents through the school immunisation program.
- Keep up your check-ups, even if you have no natural teeth. Denture wearers need screening as much as anyone.
Noticed Something That Has Not Healed?
If a sore, patch or lump has been there for more than two weeks, do not wait for your next routine visit. Call Star Light Dental in Prestons on (02) 9432 2833 or book online and tell us what you have found.
This article is general information and is not a substitute for examination by a dentist or doctor.