Dentist reveals why you should NEVER ignore these common oral cancer signs: ‘Don’t wait’

A dentist has issued a stark warning about the early signs of oral cancer that many Australians are unknowingly brushing off.

Dr Mark Burhenne, a family dentist and creator of the viral Ask the Dentist series, is urging people to pay closer attention to even the smallest changes in their mouth – particularly if they linger.

‘If any of these have lasted more than two weeks, don’t wait. Get it looked at,’ the US-based professional said in a recent post to his 1.1 million followers.

His warning comes as oral cancer continues to affect thousands of Australians each year. 

Around 800 cases are diagnosed annually, while broader head and neck cancers account for more than 5,500 diagnoses and over 1,300 deaths nationwide, according to Cancer Australia.

What makes the disease particularly dangerous, experts say, is how easy it is to miss in its early stages.

Dr Burhenne explained that one of the most commonly ignored symptoms is a sore or ulcer that simply won’t heal, and especially if it isn’t painful.

While most mouth ulcers clear within a week or so, he warned that anything persisting beyond two weeks should be taken seriously, even if it seems harmless at first glance.

The lack of pain, he suggested, is often what lulls people into a false sense of security.

Subtle visual changes can also be an early clue. White or red patches that appear on the tongue, gums or inner cheeks may not seem alarming, but can signal underlying cell changes that require assessment.

Similarly, he advised paying attention to any unusual thickening, hard spots or lumps inside the mouth – or even along the neck – noting that these can sometimes indicate abnormal tissue growth or spread beyond the original site.

Other symptoms can be just as easy to dismiss, like bleeding.

Bleeding anywhere in the mouth that keeps returning without a clear cause, for example, shouldn’t be written off as aggressive brushing.

Nor should unexplained numbness in the tongue or lips be ignored, as it may point to nerve involvement.

Even functional changes, like difficulty chewing, swallowing or speaking, can be early warning signs if they develop suddenly and persist.

Individually, these symptoms might not seem alarming, but he warned, together, they form a pattern that dentists are trained to recognise early.

‘Dental checkups can save your life by detecting oral cancer early,’ Dr Burhenne said, adding that many people don’t realise their dentist routinely screens for signs of the disease during a standard visit.

During a check-up, dentists will examine the tongue, gums, cheeks and throat, looking for anything unusual, and often catching potential issues before patients have noticed them themselves.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, survival rates for oral cancer are significantly higher when the disease is detected early, but drop sharply once it progresses.

Despite this, awareness still remains low, with many Australians unaware of the symptoms or the fact they are already being screened during routine dental appointments.

Experts say risk factors include smoking, heavy alcohol use, HPV infection and prolonged sun exposure to the lips, though cases are increasingly being diagnosed in people without traditional risk profiles.

For Dr Burhenne, he urges his followers daily not to ignore what their body is trying to tell them and to get it checked as soon as possible.