Increasing mouth cancer awareness throughout the month of November.
Be mouth cancer aware.
Statistics show that Mouth Cancer is increasing in the UK. Last year dentists recorded over 7,800 people diagnosed with mouth cancer in the UK alone.
Mouth cancer is a devastating disease. Mouth cancer survivors can suffer from problems breathing, swallowing, drinking and eating. Speech can be affected, or is sometimes lost. Some people suffer facial disfigurement.
Related problems, such as poor nutrition or depression, can follow too. Sufferers may experience communication difficulties, low self-esteem, social isolation. The impact on personal relationships can cause as much distress as the cancer itself.
Despite these problems, mouth cancer awareness remains low.
With cases on the rise, do we know what to look for?
- lumps, swellings, red and white patches in your mouth
- lumps or swellings in the head and neck area
If you’re worried about anything unusual in your mouth, don’t put off getting it checked. Make an appointment with your doctor or dentist today. It could save your life.
What can cause mouth cancer?
Life style choices are the main cause of mouth cancer. In short, tobacco use, alcohol consumption and oral sex.
- Cigarettes, pipes and cigars are the main ways tobacco is used still, but chewing tobacco is also dangerous.
- Alcohol can increase the risk of developing the disease, with alcohol and tobacco together putting you at even greater risk.
- Reports link mouth cancer to the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV can be spread through oral sex, and rivals smoking and drinking as a main causes of mouth cancer. Vaccinations help reduce the chances of contracting mouth cancer through HPV.
Early detection
If the signs of mouth cancer are spotted early enough, the chance of survival is higher. A late cancer diagnosis may be too late.
During a dental examination your dentist will not only check your teeth, but also check the soft tissues inside your mouth, and examine the neck area.
If the dentist finds something unusual, they will refer the patient to the hospital for a thorough examination, possible biopsy and further treatment. This action can save lives.
Therefore, it’s worth booking a regular check up with your dentist.
Be mouth cancer aware. If in doubt, check it out.
For more advice, please take a look at some other features:
- Tips to stops smoking.
- October has ended, but it’s still worth cutting down alcohol consumption.
- Be mouth cancer aware – a 45 second check.