Time For Action Against Mouth Cancer - Nearly 5000 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year, a 17 per cent rise in the last five years. Nearly 1,700 die each year from the disease, more than testicular cancer and cervical cancer combined. This staggering statistic means that mouth cancer kills one person every 5 hours in the UK.

The people most at risk are;

• Mouth cancer is more common in men than women, but the gap is closing.
• Mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, although an increasing amount of young people are developing the condition.
• Smoking and drinking contributes to 80% of mouth cancer cases.
Smoking is the number one cause of mouth cancer. Cigarette smoke converts saliva into a deadly cell-damaging cocktail.
Alcohol aids absorption of smoke into the mouth-people who smoke and drink are 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer.

Alcohol alone also poses nearly poses as big a risk. Contrary to belief it is not what you drink but the amount of units consumed on a daily basis. Men should drink no more than 3-4 units daily whilst women are recommended to drink no more than 2-3 units daily.
• Poor diet is linked to a third of al mouth cancer cases. Evidence
shows an increase in fruit and vegetables lowers the risk as can
fish and eggs.

It is very important that you examine your mouth on a regular basis, making an appointment with your dentist if you find the following signs and symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms to be aware of;

• Mouth ulcers that do not heal within three weeks.
• Red or white patches in the mouth
• Unusual swellings or lumps within the mouth or neck.

Regular dental check-ups are essential in the battle against this disease.

At your routine dental examination John and Marek will check your mouth, cheeks, tongue, gums and lips for any signs of abnormality.

Early detection and treatment considerably increases survival chances, allows for simpler treatment and results in a better quality of life for sufferers.
On February 12th 2009 a report was published in the World Health Organisation (WHO) bulletin, which found visual oral screening an effective low cost measure in preventing mouth cancer and that early detection of mouth cancer was nearly doubled by routine visual screening.

EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES !!

"IF IN DOUBT ...........GET CHECKED OUT!!!"