Common Places for Oral Cancer Important Information from Our Riverside Dental Wellness Office:

Oral cancer is considered the sixth most common cancer in the world.  Tobacco and alcohol use are considered well known risk factors in developing oral cancer.  Recently, human papillomavirus better known as HPV is Typically, oral cancer manifests itself painless however by the time an individual feels pain, it is typically too late to treat.  Our Riverside Cosmetic and Dental Wellness office is dedicated to oral cancer prevention.  Our dental team highly recommends all patients be screened once a year for oral cancer.  Velscope technology is used along with a clinical examination to detect the early stages of cancer.  The Velscope oral cancer screening is non-invasive and only takes a few minutes.  Please contact our Riverside Cosmetic and Dental Wellness office for a complete oral cancer screening at (951)686-3666.  Below are the most common areas where oral cancer manifests itself in the mouth.

1. Tongue:  The sides of the tongue are the most common locations when finding oral cancer.  Typically, cancer on the tongue is found on the left side.  Examine both sides of the tongue on a regular basis for red or white lesions.
2. Floor of the mouth:  This is the second most common area in the mouth for cancer.  Cancerous lesions on the floor of the mouth look like a red-white patch or ulcer.
3. Buccal mucosa:  The cheek tissue can also get cancerous lesions that appear as a red-white patch.
4. Gingiva:  Cancer also can manifest itself along the gumline as a red-white thickening of the tissue.