April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month! Are You Aware?

Oral cancer doesn't get a lot of play. It's not as lethal as pancreatic cancer, as dramatic as brain cancer, or as commercialized as lung cancer -- but it's pretty nasty stuff nonetheless. Dr. Eric Johnson's office is acknowledging Oral Cancer Awareness Month by offering free oral cancer screenings to anyone willing to make an appointment to see us.

But how do you know if you should come in and get checked?

The obvious answer is "if you have a mouth, you should get checked." But we realize that that won't fly with everyone out there, so here are a dozen other things your body may be telling you that indicate it's particularly worthwhile to schedule a visit.

1. If you're 60 years of age or more, you should definitely get checked.
2. If you smoke(d) or use(d) tobacco for more than a month within the last decade.
3. If you regularly (once a week or more) drink enough alcohol to feel tipsy.
4. If you've been diagnosed with HPV.
5. If you have red and/or white patches on the inside of your lips or cheeks.
6. If you have a lip that's been sore for more than a few days.
7. If you have unexplained bleeding inside your mouth.
8. If one or more of your teeth are inexplicably loose.
9. If you have difficulty or pain when swallowing, especially rough foods.
10. If you have a lump in your neck and you don't know where it came from.
11. If you have a pain that feels like its midway between your ears and your jawbone.
12. If your retainers, dentures or partials have started to feel like they don't fit.

Any of these things can indicate the onset of oral cancer. If you have more than two of them, getting checked for oral cancer should be very high on your list of things to do. Call or come in to Dr. Johnson's office today and make an appointment for your free oral cancer screening -- you've only got until the end of April to get it done for free, so hurry!