In Traditional Chinese Medicine / Acupuncture the examination of the tongue is regarded as one of the vital steps towards an appropriate holistic diagnosis. For Traditional Chinese Medicine / Acupuncture, a normal tongue should show a light red or pinkish coloration, covered in a fine white coating. Alterations in this pattern indicate disharmony in the body.

Mouth cancer is considered to be the 12th commonest malignancy in the world. Statistically speaking, approximately half of the cases are detected at advanced stages, and only 50% of the diagnosed patients will survive over a period of five years.

It is also known that early detection of oral lesions is more likely to occur if seen by a dentist, because checking the mouth is commonplace in daily clinical dental practice.

The detection of those lesions in the mouth that carry a potential to become cancerous is a matter of an unmissed opportunity, most of the time!

Dentists are the health professionals that most detect mouth cancer due to their routine access to the oral cavity. Another health professional, the acupuncturist, can also be trained to perform the opportunistic detection of oral lesions, as they also routinely check the mouth to inspect the tongue.

Going beyond the inspection of the tongue and learning to examine the whole mouth, you, the acupuncturist could and should act in the early detection of oral lesions, which can become cancerous lesions and, ultimately, save lives!