What are the first signs of mouth cancer from chewing tobacco?

Difficult to see: This is a big reason to see a dentist on a regular basis for checkups. As with many types of cancer, catching "mouth cancer" early greatly improves your chances of defeating it. A dentist has many tools at their disposal to see very small lesions that could be or eventually turn into cancer.

Signs/symptoms: See oral surgeon or ENT doc if you have any of these symptoms: Persistent mouth sore, persistent mouth pain, a lump or thickening in the cheek, a white/red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth, a sore throat, hoarseness or feeling that something is caught in the throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing/chewing.