The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer. The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology, and strangely, is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or mouth pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

Oral cancer can be detected early by simply looking in the mouth.  For this reason, all patients, AND especially those who regularly use tobacco products and alcohol should perform a self-exam on a monthly basis, and schedule routine dental and oral exams. We would recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly and remember that your mouth is one of your body's most important warning systems. Do not ignore suspicious lumps or sores. If there is any question about something that you do not think is normal, please give our office a call immediately, to receive a thorough examination.  If anything looks suspicious, a biopsy can be done in order to have an accurate diagnosis.

Please contact Dr. Bosack with any questions.

Learn more about the oral & maxillofacial surgical procedures that we provide, please select a procedure of interest from the menu below:

• Dental Extractions
• Wisdom Teeth
• Dental Implants
• Bone Grafting
• "Sinus Lift"
• Platelet Rich Plasma
• CT Scanner
• Corrective Jaw Surgery
• Endodontic Surgery