Be Mouth Cancer Aware!
Did you know? Here at Brucegate Dental Practice each time you have regular dental Check-up, the dentist carries out a mouth cancer screening.
Signs To Look Out For;
- Sore mouth ulcers that don’t heal within several weeks.
- Persistent lumps in the mouth or neck that don’t go away.
- Unexplained looseness of teeth, or sockets that don’t heal after you’ve had a tooth out.
- Unexplained, persistent numbness or an odd feeling on your lip or tongue.
- Red or White patches on the inside of the mouth or tongue – Can sometimes be early signs of cancer.
- Changes in speech, such as a lisp.
The Facts;
- Mouth cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world!
- Most cases of mouth cancer occur in older adults aged between 50 – 74.
- Mouth cancer can occur in younger adults. HPV infection is thought to be associated with the majority of cases that occur in younger people.
- Cancer of the mouth is also more common in men than women. This may be because, on average, men tend to drink more alcohol, and smoke more than women.
Prevention;
The three most effective ways of preventing mouth cancer developing.
- Not Smoking
- Ensure you don’t drink more than the recommended weekly limits for alcohol. (NHS recommends no more than 14 units of alcohol per week – spread evenly over 3 or more days). For help on calculating this goto : www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/calculating-alcohol-units/#calculating-units
- Eating a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet that have plenty of fresh vegetables. Particularly tomatoes – Citrus Fruits, Olive Oil and fish.
It is also important that you have regular dental check-ups.
Information source: NHS Choices correct as of 7.8.18
For more infromation ;
www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/mouth-cancer
www.nhs.uk/conditions/mouth-cancer/