Canker Sore Vs. Cancer

Often times there are similarities between the appearance of a canker sore vs. cancer of the mouth that can confuse many people. While canker sores do not pose overall danger to your health, oral cancer does. This makes it important to know how to distinguish if what you have is a canker sore or cancer.

Difference Between Canker Sores vs. Cancer

Below are some ways that canker sores and oral cancer differ to help you identify what it is that you have. While these characteristics can help you self diagnose your condition, it is important that if you are unsure, you should consult your dentist to have a professional opinion.

Duration

Canker sores typically heal and disappear between 7-14 days. On the other hand, oral cancer lesions do not go away and remain indefinitely. This is one of the biggest differentiators. If the suspected area has been there for 14 days or longer, there is a good chance that what you have is not a canker sore, and could potentially be oral cancer.

Level Of Pain

Canker sores are typically always painful, however, mouth cancer may or may not be painful. While a canker sore often stings, burns, or tingles before it becomes visible, mouth cancer in its early stages hardly ever causes pain [1].

If the lesion is sizable and does not hurt at all, there is a greater chance that it is mouth cancer rather than a canker sore. Just because it does not hurt does not mean that it is automatically cancer, but it can help rule out a canker sore.

Appearance

Canker sores are usually round or oval shaped and contain a depressed center. They are typically white, yellow, or grey, with an outside rim that is red. Mouth cancer on the other hand tends to be a more patchy mixture of white and red coloring [2].

See Also: What Causes Canker Sores?

Other Traits of Oral Cancer

Below is a list of some other attributes of mouth cancer that can help differentiate a canker sore vs. cancer.

Oral sores that are bleeding - While canker sores can bleed from time to time, it is more common that mouth cancer bleeds.
Thick lumps in the mouth - Canker sores do not tend to be lumpy, so if the area is lumpy, there is a chance that it could be mouth cancer.
Teeth suddenly become loose with no cause - This is another symptom of mouth cancer that will not be the case with canker sores. If you find that your teeth are becoming loose, this could be due to oral cancer.
Numbness in parts of mouth - Cancer cells can cause nerve or blood vessel damage in the mouth, which can lead to areas of numbness.
Pain, swelling, or stiffness in jaw - Jaw pain can be an indicator that what you have is oral cancer. Canker sores typically do not cause jaw stiffness or pain, however they can cause swollen lymph nodes under your chin or jaw.

Talk To Your Dentist

Oral cancer is on the rise and thousands of people are diagnosed each year. When it is discovered early, it typically has a survival rate of 85% [3].

If you have a mouth sore or lesion that persists for longer than 14 days, make sure that you contact an emergency dentist to have it looked at. They will do a visual exam of the as well as some other tests to determine the condition and how to proceed.

Need An Effective Treatment For Canker Sores?

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