# Oral signs can warn of disease before pain starts, says dentist 2026-08-25T16:09:35+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Dr Puneet Batra, an orthodontist and specialist in craniofacial care, said the mouth often shows the first signs of illness before a patient feels any discomfort. In a recent episode of the podcast Voices of Clarity, he pointed to bleeding gums, unhealed ulcers, and mobile teeth as early warning signs linked to wider health problems. The World Health Organisation estimates oral diseases affect nearly 3.7 billion people globally. In India, lip and oral cavity cancers accounted for 1,43,759 new cases in 2022, with 1,07,812 among men, making it the leading cancer site for Indian males, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Dr Batra also cautioned against AI-generated smile images on social media, saying every patient has unique facial features and a copied smile is not possible. He said digital tools like intraoral scanners and AI can assist in diagnosis, but the final responsibility for treatment remains with the dentist. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India's National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke includes oral cancer screening for people aged 30 and above, but screening coverage remains low in rural areas. The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, launched in 2013, aims to screen children for birth defects including clefts, yet specialist care is concentrated in cities. Smile Train's network has supported over 8,00,000 cleft surgeries since 2000, but the 35,000 annual cleft births in India mean many families still travel long distances for staged treatment that spans years. The government's next National Family Health Survey data on oral health access, expected in 2025, will show whether early-detection efforts are reaching the districts with the highest oral cancer burden. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Leads with expert interview and WHO data, no editorial slant. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Dr Puneet Batra, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organisation Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/oral-signs-can-warn-of-disease-before-pain-starts-says-dentist/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/oral-signs-can-warn-of-disease-before-pain-starts-says-dentist/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/