Self checklist for mouth cancer

For self-examination the areas to concentrate on are the face, neck, gums, lips, cheeks, mouth and tongue.

The neck & face 

Feel along the front and sides of the neck to feel if you have any lumps or tender areas and then do the same routine on your face.

Gums, upper & lower lips 

Pull the lip so that you can see the inside clearly and look for any sore areas or any changes of colour relating to your lips and gums.

Cheeks 

Using your fingers pull out your cheeks to detect any changes such as red, white or dark patches. Using your index finger on the inside of your cheek and your thumb on the outside of your cheek, press to see if there are any lumps. Do this on both cheeks.

Mouth & tongue 

Open your mouth wide and tilt you head so that you can see if there are any obvious changes such as colour changes or lumps that have appeared that shouldn't be there. To examine the tongue, hold the tongue using a piece of sterile material (to avoid contamination) and check the top, bottom and each side for any changes of colour or any swellings. 

To examine the underside of your tongue and the base of your mouth, point the tip of the tongue towards the roof of your mouth, check for any colour changes. Then, using the same technique as for the cheeks, use your fingers to feel for any swelling, tenderness or anything which is not usually there. 

After completing this routine, should you notice any abnormalities mentioned, seek immediate attention from a registered dental/healthcare professional. 

These examinations should not replace your regular dental examinations but they may help to detect any irregularities which may occur in between visits.