BOSTON -- According to the Massachusetts Dental Society, one person dies of oral cancer in the United States every hour. But if it's caught early, there's a 90 percent chance of survival.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported Thursday on the latest tool doctors are using to detect the disease.

It’s often painless and hides in your mouth. And despite a common misconception, dentists say everyone is at risk, whether you smoke or not.

"Anybody is susceptible to oral cancer," said Dr. Steven Spitz, a dentist with Smileboston Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry. “When it happens it can be very devastating. It can be life altering."

According to the Massachusetts Dental Society, more than 30,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every year in the United States. More than half of them won't be alive after five years. That is why dentists say early detection is so important.

“If we can detect it early we might be able to cure it earlier,” Spitz said.

Spitz screens all his patients for oral cancer using the VELscope. It’s the latest tool used to detect the disease. He shines a light into the patient’s mouth. It helps him see what the naked eye cannot.

“It uses fluorescent in order for us to see deep into the tissues and will detect any abnormalities in the tissue very early on,” Spitz said.

While your dentist is trained to spot cancer, Oral Pathologist Michael Kahn, of Tufts Dental School, encourages everyone to do self-oral cancer screenings once a month as well.

Kahn suggests using a mirror to look for cancer on the sides and under the tongue, the roof and back of the mouth, and cheek lining.

He described what a suspicious lesion might look like.

“A small white or red spot, a patch that's different from the normal pink color inside your mouth that doesn't rub off. It doesn't go away after a week or two,” Kahn said.