Health

FREE MOUTH SCREENING - FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 01993 702452

Our mouths are one of the most important parts of our bodies. Despite this, many people don’t even know about oral cancer. So we are encouraging our patients to get a little closer and look for the tell-tale signs .

Emphasis is on preventative work to maintain healthy teeth and mouth. There are two hygienists to help achieve and maintain good oral hygiene and diet control which helps prevent tooth and gum disease.

FACT FINDER...Did you know?

• Mouth cancer kills more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined
• Early diagnosis improves survival chances to more than 90%
• About 70% of mouth cancers are detected at a late stage, reducing chances of survival
• Tobacco and alcohol account for 75% of mouth cancers
• Look out for ulcers that do not heal within 3 weeks, red or white patches and unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth
• The human papilloma virus (HPV) contracted through oral sex, had been linked to more than 20,000 cancer cases in the past 5 years. Experts say HPV could overtake tobacco and alcohol as a major risk within the next 10 years

Whos's at risk?

• People who both drink and use tobacco are upto 3 times more likely to develop the condition
• People who smoke and/or chew tobacco, paan, areca nut and gutkha are at one of the highest risks of developing mouth cancer
• Poor diet is linked to around a third of cases. Be sure to eat 5 portions or fruit and vegetables a day as well as eggs and fish are thought to reduce the risk further
• Although mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, an increasing number of young people are developing the condition
• 50 years ago, mouth cancer was 5 times more common in men than women. Now it is only twice as common

For more information , please click here to visit the British Dental Health Foundation website