The Oral Examination

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Tongue

The Oral Examination Oral Examination: Adults Tongue

Dorsal

Inspect the dorsum of the tongue.

Lateral

The margins of the tongue are common areas for precancer or cancer and are easily missed by an incomplete examination.

  1. Retract the cheek with a finger, tongue blade, or mirror.
  2. Inspect the lateral margins of the tongue as far back as possible.
  3. Grasp the tip of the tongue with a gauze pad to facilitate this part of the examination.
  4. Posterolateral tongue margins are cancer-prone areas.

Dorsal Tongue

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Left Lateral Tongue 

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Ventral Tongue

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Right Lateral Tongue 

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Mark Deutchman, MD

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