November has been designated ‘Mouth Cancer Action Month’ by the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) to raise awareness about the disease which, according to the BDHF, has seen cases increase in the UK by almost 50% in the last decade.
Cheltenham based dental practice, Illume, is keen to raise awareness of the vital role dentists can play in detecting this potentially lethal illness in its early stages to increase the chances of survival. The BDHF predicts that without early detection, approximately 30,000 people in the UK could die because of mouth cancer in the next ten years.
Illume owner, Dr Tim Rumney, says, “Dentists are ideally placed to spot any warning signs that mouth cancer may be present, but only if people attend surgeries for regular check-ups. Clients tend to think of dentists as only looking after their teeth, but in actual fact we check all aspects of oral health during check-ups – or ‘healthy mouth reviews’ as we call them.”
The BDHF has identified a number of risk factors associated with mouth cancer. More obvious factors include smoking, alcohol consumption and poor diet, but the HPV virus has also been identified as a cause in a study undertaken in the US – particularly amongst young people.
Symptoms can include ulcers that don’t heal within three weeks, red and white patches in the mouth or unusual lumps or swellings. Illume’s dental team has referred a number of clients to hospital to seek further attention following routine check-ups - leading to treatment in some cases.
Dr Rumney continues, “Thanks to high profile public health campaigns, people are aware of some of the symptoms of certain diseases including breast and skin cancer, but other cancers are less well-known. Dental teams play a vital role in both raising awareness of mouth cancer and identifying patients who may be at risk.”
The BDHF’s campaign, ‘If in doubt, get checked out’ will be running throughout November – visit www.mouthcancer.org for more details.