Donnajean,
I agree. I went to a dentist, a periodontist and an endodontist and even had the periodontist take his mirror and try to look down my throat since it had been dry and scratchy for months. Of course I gagged and he could not see down there.
When I was finally diagnosed I was told by the doctors that throat ( base of tongue ) cancer like mine is one of " the hidden cancers ". It just was in my throat growing freely for who knows how long. When I complained to doctor friends everyone assumed, me being a non-smoker and a fit 54 yr old, that it was allergies or reflux. It was not until I began having problems swallowing food and went to an ENT who scoped me that I was finally diagnosed...at stage IV.
So there lies the problem. Even a conscientious dentist, who may detect mouth lesions, is not able to detect tumors in the throat, and most aren't trained to feel neck nodes. I guess that as part of advocacy for oral cancer, the public needs to be educated about some of the subtle symptoms, like a persistent dry , scratchy throat or swallowing difficulties.

Danny G.