Oral cancer examination should ideally be a part of your dental checkup routine. Early diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer is the most important factor that determines your success rate. A biannual visit to the dentist is always recommended and, on every visit, an oral cancer examination must be done. However, to ensure perfect oral health and to fight any signs of trouble a DIY oral cancer examination can be fruitful. Discover more about this oral cancer examination that can be easily done at home in a few steps.

The face
Examine our face closely. Look for swellings on the entire face. Check all the moles on your skin. See if any of the moles have grown or have started to bleed or itch. To discover any lumps on the face, turn your head from side to side. This will stretch the skin over the muscle and make the lumps more visible.

The neck
Run the balls of your fingers under your jaw and feel the large muscle on both the sides of the neck. Check for any swellings. See if both the sides of the neck feel the same or not.

The lips
With your index, middle finger, and thumb, check the inside of your mouth. While pulling your upper lip upwards and lower lip downwards, check for sores or any changes in the color. With your thumb and forefingers, feel the inside of your lips and check for any lumps or any changes in the texture.

Gums
Using your forefinger and thumb, check inside and outside by feeling your gums. While moving your hands, feel and look for anything abnormal in the area with a mirror.

Cheeks
Keep your mouth open and pull your cheeks, one cheek at a time. Use your finger to look inside for any red or white patches. With one side at a time, examine the insides of your cheek with a finger and check for any ulcers, lumps, or tenderness. You can also use your tongue to find any sores, ulcers, or any other abnormalities in the cheek.

Tongue
Pull your tongue out and one side at a time, look for any swelling, ulcer, or change in color. Also, check the underside of the tongue by lifting the tip of your tongue and touching the roof of your mouth.

Floor of the mouth
Lift your tongue to check the area underneath it. Once you have checked there, look for any color changes or anything unusual on the floor of the mouth. Use your fingers to gently press the floor of the mouth and area underside your tongue to check for any lumps, swellings, or ulcers.

Root of the mouth
To check this part of the mouth, you will have to tilt your head back. Open your mouth wide and examine the roof of our mouth. Check for the presence of any changes in the color or ulcers there. You can use your fingers to feel for any changes in texture.