A monthly mouth self-check takes five minutes in front of a mirror in good light: examine the gums for bleeding or swelling, the tongue's top, underside and edges, the inside of the cheeks and lips, the roof and floor of the mouth, and feel the neck and under the jaw for lumps. Contact a dentist about any ulcer or white or red patch lasting more than two weeks, a lump that does not resolve, persistent bleeding, loose teeth, or numbness.
What you need
A bright light, a mirror, clean hands, and a piece of gauze or tissue to hold your tongue. A phone torch works well. Do it in the same order every time — the point is to notice change, and you can only notice change from a consistent baseline.
The examination, step by step
- Face and neckLook for asymmetry or swelling. Run your fingers under the jaw and down both sides of the neck, feeling for lumps. Small mobile nodes can be normal; a firm lump that does not move or does not settle within a few weeks needs review.
- LipsPull the upper then lower lip outward. Check the inner surface and the border where lip meets skin. Look for persistent crusting, ulcers or a patch of changed colour.
- CheeksPull each cheek out with a clean finger. Look along the biting line and deep into the corners. This is where people who chew tobacco or paan masala most often develop white patches — and where they are easiest to miss.
- GumsLook at gum colour and shape all the way around, outside and inside. Healthy gums are firm, pale pink (pigmentation is normal and varies), and sit in a scalloped line. Note any area that is red, swollen, receding, or bleeds when you brush.
- Tongue — top and sidesStick it out and look at the surface. Then hold the tip with gauze and pull it gently to each side to see the edges. The sides and underside of the tongue matter most; they are the commonest sites for serious lesions and the least often looked at.
- Floor of the mouthLift the tongue to the roof of your mouth and look underneath, both sides of the frenum. Then feel the floor of the mouth with a finger, pressing gently upward.
- Roof of the mouthTilt your head back. Look at the hard palate and as far back as the soft palate. Smokers sometimes develop white patches with red dots here.
- TeethLook for new dark spots or holes, chipped edges, and anything that has changed shade. Push gently on each tooth with a fingertip — adult teeth should not move.
What is normal and needs no action
- Small bumps on the tongue's surface — these are papillae.
- Yellowish-white glands visible inside the cheeks and lips.
- Pigmented patches of gum, which are normal in many people and stable over years.
- A ridge of bone in the midline of the palate or inside the lower jaw (torus) — harmless.
- An ulcer after biting your cheek, healing within a week or two.
Contact the clinic within a week
- Any ulcer, white patch or red patch that has lasted more than two weeks.
- A lump anywhere in the mouth, or in the neck, that is not settling.
- Gums that bleed regularly when brushing.
- An adult tooth that has become loose, or a bite that feels different.
- A tooth that has changed colour compared with its neighbours.
- Persistent bad taste or bad breath despite good cleaning.
Go the same day if you have
- Facial swelling with fever, or swelling closing your eye.
- Difficulty swallowing, breathing, or opening your mouth.
- Uncontrolled bleeding.
- Numbness of the lip, chin or tongue that appeared without an injection.
- A knocked-out permanent tooth — this one is measured in minutes.
A self-check does not replace a professional examination. It cannot show you decay between teeth, bone level, or anything below the gum. What it does is catch visible change early, and give you something specific to point at when you come in.
Questions we get asked
How often should I do a mouth self-check?
Once a month is enough for most people. If you use tobacco, paan masala or gutkha, or drink heavily, do it monthly without fail and have a professional examination at least twice a year.
What does an early oral cancer lesion look like?
Frequently unremarkable — a painless white or red patch, a thickened area, or an ulcer that simply does not heal. The absence of pain is the trap. Any such change lasting beyond two weeks needs examination.
My gums bleed a little. Is that worth reporting?
Yes. Healthy gums do not bleed when brushed. Bleeding is the earliest and most reversible sign of gum disease, and at that stage it is entirely fixable.