The next time you go in for your regular checkup, it might be a good time to ask your dentist or doctor to check your entire mouth for oral cancer symptoms.
Since this kind of cancer can target anyone, regular checkups are the best time to look for signs of this disease in its early stage.
Don't be shy about asking your doctor to check the tissues in your mouth during your routine exam.
In case you haven't been able to schedule your checkup yet, or you're still not due for another one for a few months, then you can check for symptoms on your own.
Most of these are thankfully visible, making them easy to recognize.
White patches or leukoplakia inside your mouth are one of the most common oral cancer symptoms to watch out for.
Another type would be erythroleukoplakia, which is a mixture of red and white patches .
If you see red patches or erythroplakia, then you definitely need to set up an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.
These have the highest chance of becoming malignant as opposed to the other two.
Sores on your lips or within your mouth that refuse to heal even after two weeks are another thing that you should watch out for.
Bleeding in the oral cavity as well as loose teeth are also signs of developing tumors so if you see your gums starting to bleed even with light brushing and your doctor has told you that you don't have gingivitis, then you should be concerned and have it checked out.
Sometimes, oral cancer symptoms can include difficult or painful swallowing.
This can cover anything from problems when chewing to moving your jaw or your tongue.
Along with this you might also suffer from frequent or persistent earaches.
Though this can also be a sign of an infection, it's always a good idea to have it checked out just to make sure - it could save your life!