Embracing the raised awareness of Mouth Cancer Action Month
A regular check-up can help a dentist to spot the early signs of some severe conditions, one of the most vital being mouth cancer. Although not the most publicised cancer, each year, mouth cancer claims more lives than testicular and cervical cancers combined, and the number of cases is increasing year on year.
In 2002, 4,500 mouth cancer cases were recorded in the UK. By 2012, this had increased to 7,300 cases reported. That’s a 62% increase in just one decade.
As with other types of cancer, the earlier this is detected, the more chance there is to significantly improve the likelihood of survival. Although more than 2,000 people die each year as a result of mouth cancer, for those patients detected at an early stage, the survival rate improves from 50% to 90%.
As well as helping people and their families to look after their teeth and gums, a dental plan can also help them to engage more generally with their overall health. Dental check-ups cover more than just teeth and gums – a dentist appointment involves a check-up on the whole mouth, and is just as important as a visit to the GP.
Using Mouth Cancer Action Month for positive change
November has been Mouth Cancer Action Month - a month dedicated to raising awareness about mouth cancer. It has allowed dental professionals to talk to their patients about the risks, symptoms and prevention of this devastating disease in a more light-hearted way.
To take part in raising awareness, all people have to do is take a photo of themselves, their patients or their teams with blue lips and share it on Twitter or Instagram using the campaign’s hashtag #BlueLipSelfie. More information can be found at http://www.mouthcancer.org/
Companies are only as good as their workforce, so if they can help to educate their employees through dental plans and encourage decent oral health, this could in turn help early detection for more serious conditions like mouth cancer. Hopefully this November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month will help further raise this issue among both employees’ and companies’ minds.
This article was provided by Denplan.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Simplyhealth
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