What is oral cancer?

Oral cancer, also known as mouth cancer, is cancer of the lining of the lips, mouth, or upper throat. In the mouth, it most commonly starts as a painless white patch, that thickens, develops red patches, an ulcer, and continues to grow. When on the lips, it commonly looks like a persistent crusting ulcer that does not heal, and slowly grows. Other symptoms may include difficult or painful swallowing, new lumps or bumps in the neck, a swelling in the mouth, or a feeling of numbness in the mouth or lips

What are the symptoms of Oral Cancer?

One should seek advice of a dentist if he/she experience any of the below mentioned symptoms:

• Swelling, thickening, lumps, bumps, or any other changes in the tongue, lips or any region in mouth.
• Developing velvety red, white, or red-and-white patches around the mouth.
• Other signs of oral cancer include unexplained bleeding from the mouth. Any section of the face, neck, or another body part that is numb or loses feeling, including the area around the mouth throat discomfort, or a vague sense of having something stuck there.
• Oral cancer can be detected by symptoms such as difficulty in speaking, chewing, swallowing, and moving the tongue, or jaw.
• Change in voice or it being hoarse or having painful throat

What causes oral cancer?

Squamous cells inside the mouth are the origin of oral cancer. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a disease of environmental factors, the greatest of which is tobacco. Like all environmental factors, the rate at which cancer will develop is dependent on the dose, frequency and method of application of the carcinogen (the substance that is causing the cancer). Aside from cigarette smoking, other carcinogens for oral cancer include alcohol, viruses (particularly HPV 16 and 18), radiation, and UV light.