Kilbarchan Dental Practice is once again supporting Mouth Cancer Action Month - a charity campaign which aims to raise awareness of mouth cancer and make a difference by saving thousands of lives through early detection and prevention.

In the UK, more than 7,800 people were diagnosed with mouth cancer last year and globally there are in excess of 300,000 new cases every year.

The number of people being diagnosed with mouth cancer has grown by around a third in the last decade and remains one of very few cancers which are predicted to increase further in the coming years.

Although risk factors such as smoking are heavily linked to the disease, mouth cancer can affect anyone – that’s why it’s so important that we all know what to look out for and what preventative measures we can take:

• Don’t leave a mouth ulcer unattended for more than three weeks.
• Don’t ignore any unusual lumps or swellings or red and white patches in your mouth.
• Visit your dentist at least once a year, even if you wear dentures and particularly if you smoke and drink.
• Maintain a healthy diet. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg and cutting down on smoking and alcohol consumption will certainly help lower the risk.
• Early detection could save your life. If you notice any changes in your mouth speak to a dentist or doctor immediately.

If you do have any queries about mouth cancer or any other areas of dental health visit us at Kilbarchan Dental Practice, call 01505 704969.

MORE ABOUT MOUTH CANCER ACTION MONTH

The campaign is about making everybody more mouthaware and in November, we will be highlighting the risk factors and signs and symptoms associated with the disease.

By communicating the causes of mouth cancer, we can encourage healthier lifestyles and reduce the number of people diagnosed with the disease.  It is also important that we can recognise the early warning signs so that we can act on any unusual changes in the mouth as soon as possible.

To find out more or get involved visit: https://www.dentalhealth.org/mouth-cancer-action-month