The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth.  In Caucasians, the color is a coral pink and in people of different ethnicities the color may be varied somewhat with darker pigmentation.  Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process.  The most serious of these is oral cancer.  The following signs can be the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth.

• Reddish patches (erythroplakia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth
• A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily
• A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth
• Chronic sore throat or hoarseness
• Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
• Swelling
• Pain

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

Dr. Savage and Rajagopal are experienced in diagnosing and treating various pathological lesions in the tissues of the head and neck region.  You may be referred to our office by your general dentist or physician for evaluation of any suspicious lesions within your jaw bones or in the soft tissues surrounding them.  Should our doctors agree that something looks suspicious, a biopsy may be recommended.

A biopsy is a procedure where a piece of tissue is removed and submitted to a pathologist for microscopic evaluation.  This allows us to make an accurate diagnosis of the problem and allows our surgeons to come up with a treatment plan that is specifically designed to deal with the lesion diagnosed.

Odontogenic Keratocyst (Cyst with a high recurrence rate)	Follicular Amelobalstoma  (Benign but very aggressive tumor)	Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Most common form of oral cancer)

Remember that your mouth is one of your body’s most important warning systems.  We would recommend that you perform oral cancer self-examination on a monthly basis.  Please do not ignore any suspicious lumps or sores.  If you feel that you, or someone you know, have any of the symptoms that have been described, or if you have any questions and/or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact one of our offices so that we may evaluate any suspicious areas and recommend the appropriate treatment for you.  We would also encourage you to view our patient brochure on oral cancer. Just click here to see them.