I have a patient who is my friend. He was diagnosed with oral cancer eight months ago. He has received the best possible treatment and his prognosis is excellent. About 5 years ago he had “a sore” on his tongue. His dentist then did a biopsy which came back as oral lichen planus. This is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects mucous membranes inside your mouth. It may appear as white lacy patches, red, swollen tissues or open sores. Two years later the lesion reappeared. It was removed again however this time no biopsy was done.

The lesion appeared again about 10 months ago when he came to see me. After going through his history and hoping it was lichen planus, I recommended a biopsy. It came back positive for squamous cell carcinoma. Oral cancer!!

Wondering if he could have done anything different haunted him. Oral cancer is very dangerous because in its early stages it may go unnoticed or ignored by the patient. This is because it can prosper without pain or symptoms and has a high risk of producing secondary tumors.

The moral of the story is that oral cancer accounts for approximately 6 percent of all malignant growths, and can only be detected by a thorough evaluation and ultimately a biopsy by your dentist. So visit your dentist every 6 months and ensure you are screened for oral cancer.

My friend now visits Twingates Dental Center every 4 months and would never miss an appointment