What can you do to tell the difference between a oral ulcer and oral cancer?

Time: Oral ulcers will usually be healed and gone in 7-10 days. If you have an ulcer or sore that has been around significantly longer than that, you need to have it checked.

Oral Cancer: The only way to know conclusively whether or not a lesion is cancerous or not is by having the area biopsied and sent for microscopic evaluation to a pathologist. While most ulcers are gone by two weeks, there are some types of ulcers that last longer but are not cancerous. Some cancers do not ulcer. Start by seeing your dentist or an oral surgeon for an evaluation and diagnosis.