Oral Cancer Self-Exam Steps

Look at and feel your:

1. Head and Neck – look at your face and neck in a mirror. Normally, the left and right sides of the face have the same shape and are nearly symetrical. Look for any lumps, bumps or swellings that are only on one side of your face.

2. Face – examine the skin on your face for changes in color or size of moles and any sores or growths.

3. Neck – Press along the sides and front of the neck for tenderness or lumps.

4. Lips – Pull your lower lip down and look for sores or color changes. Then use your thumb and forefinger to feel the lip for lumps, bumps or changes in texture. Repeat this on your upper lip.

5. Cheek – Examine your inner cheek for red, white or dark patches. Put your index finger on the inside of your cheek and your thumb on the outside. Gently squeeeze and roll both sides of your cheeks to check for any tenderness or lumps.

6. Roof of the mouth- Tilt your head back and open your mouth wide to look for any lumps and see if the color is different than usual. Feel the roof of your mouth to check for lumps.

7. Floor of the mouth and tongue- Extend your tongue outward and look at the top surface for color and texture. Pull your tongue forward to look at both sides for any swellings or color changes. Examine the undersides of the tongue by placing the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Look at the floor of your mouth and the underside of your tongue for color changes and press your finger to the underside of your tongue to feel for any lumps or swellings.

If you find anyting out of the ordinary – particularly anything that does not heal or go away within two weeks, or that has recently changed – discuss it with your family dentist.