Last Updated on 21st November 2022
Regular readers of the Evesham Dental Health Team blog will know that raising awareness about mouth cancer is very important to us.
Nationally, Mouth Cancer Action Month takes place every November and is hosted by the Oral Health Foundation, a UK charity that is based in Rugby, Warwickshire.
Throughout the year the Evesham dentist sat our Broadway Road dental practice provide FREE mouth cancer screenings to members of our community who are not patients of ours–our patients are routinely checked. Non-patients can contact us at any time to book their free mouth cancer screen to set their minds at rest.
Over the last year, 8,337 people in the UK were given the life-changing news that they have mouth cancer.
These numbers continue to rise and the disease claims more lives than cervical and testicular cancer combined.
The more we know about mouth cancer, the better chance we have of beating it. This means knowing how to spot mouth cancer early and knowing where to go when we see something out of the ordinary.
It also means reducing our risk by cutting down on the things that cause mouth cancer, such as smoking, chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.
What are the signs of mouth cancer?
Mouth cancer can appear in different forms and can affect all parts of the mouth, tongue and lips.
Mouth cancer can appear as a painless mouth ulcer that does not heal normally. A white or red patch in the mouth can also develop into a cancer.
Be aware of any unusual lumps in your mouth or jaw area and any persistent hoarseness.
It is important to visit your dental team or doctor if an ulcer, patch or lump does not heal or go away within three weeks.
If you aren’t sure, visit us for a free cancer screening any way. It’s always better to be safe than sorry and if we find anything suspicious, we will immediately refer you to a local specialist.
