Mouth Cancer Action Month

Mouth Cancer Action Month is a charity campaign which aims to raise awareness of mouth cancer.

Throughout November the Oral Health Foundation will be aiming to get more mouth cancers diagnosed at an early stage by increasing education of the risk factors and signs and symptoms while encouraging everybody to discuss them with their dental professional.

Do you know what the signs and symptoms are?

Mouth cancer is highly dependant on early detection, more than 1,800 people in the UK lose their life to mouth cancer every year.

Signs and Symptoms

• An ulcer anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within 3 weeks
• A lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neck that persists for more than 3 weeks
• A difficulty in swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw or tongue
• A numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth
• A feeling that something is caught in the throat
• A chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists more than 6 weeks
• An unexplained loosening of teeth with no dental cause 

What are the risk factors?

Mouth cancer can affect anyone at any age and from any background, however, it is more common place in older males and around 91% of all diagnoses are linked to lifestyle.

Here are the major risk factors in contracting Oral cancer.

Risk Factors

• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• HPV
• Diet
• Chewable tobacco
• Environmental

Smoking is the main avoidable risk factor for head and neck cancer, linked to an estimated 65% of oral cancer cases, and an estimated 79% of laryngeal cancer cases in the UK.

Relevant ProDental CPD courses:

Detecting oral cancer

Basic oral care for the mouth cancer patient

Tobacco and oral health- the role of the WHO

For more information can be found on the Oral Health Foundation  website.

Posted by Gemma