About OralCheck
A free, private tool to help anyone understand their oral cancer risk — and take the next step toward care.
Why this exists
Oral cancer is one of the most underdiagnosed cancers in the United States. Its earliest symptoms look ordinary: a patch on the tongue, a sore that doesn't heal, a lump that doesn't hurt. Many people wait months or years before seeing a clinician.
OralCheck is built on a simple premise: if people had a fast, private way to understand their risk and learn the signs, more cases would be caught at Stage I — where the 5-year survival rate is over 80%.
Who built this
OralCheck was built by me, a predental student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I care a lot about community health and finding ways to actually make a difference with the knowledge I'm gaining in school.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with a chronic health condition that has significantly affected my day to day life. Going through that taught me how much your health can sneak up on you if you're not paying attention. It also showed me how important it is to have access to good information and to not brush things off. That experience is a big reason I want to go into dentistry and why I built this.
I really believe that keeping your community healthier and more informed, even just one person at a time, is worth something. Oral cancer is one of those things that a lot of people have never even thought about, and it's so much more treatable when it's caught early. I wanted to build something that could help with that.
The screening logic is informed by published risk factors from the American Cancer Society, NCI, and clinical research on oral cancer epidemiology.
How it works
- Your answers stay on your device. Nothing is saved to a server. No accounts. No tracking of responses.
- Scoring is educational, not clinical. Each answer contributes a weight derived from published risk data. The total maps to a risk tier — Low, Moderate, Elevated, or See-a-Dentist-Soon.
- It is not a diagnosis. OralCheck can suggest you should talk to a clinician. It cannot tell you whether you have cancer.
Sources & references
- American Cancer Society — Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers
- National Cancer Institute — SEER Cancer Statistics Review
- Oral Cancer Foundation — Risk Factors & Early Detection
- CDC — Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Cancer
- HRSA — Find a Health Center directory
- CAMBRA risk assessment framework — adapted for educational use
Medical disclaimer
OralCheck provides general health information only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions about a medical condition. Do not delay seeking care because of information on this site.