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Mouth cancer is a malignant growth which can occur in any part of the mouth – on the tongue, the lips and throat. Mouth cancers have a higher incidence than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma. The survival rate is just over 50%, despite treatment, with about 1,700 deaths per year. This is because of late detection which is why at Smiles Better we will carry out a thorough Mouth Cancer Screening at every six monthly examination.
Unfortunately, the awareness of mouth cancer is low, here is just a little bit of information for you to help you to understand why it is so important to have regular dental check ups so that we can detect any problems early.
In the UK around 4,750 new cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed annually. The number of new mouth cancer cases have increased by more than 30% percent in the last 10 years. 25% of cases of mouth cancer are found on the tongue and a further 33% are found in the rest of the oral cavity.
Tobacco use and drinking alcohol are the main risk factors and are thought to account for around 80% of mouth cancers. People who use both alcohol and tobacco are up to 30 times more likely to develop the condition
Mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, though an increasing number of young people are developing the condition
50 years ago mouth cancer was five times more common in men than women. Now it is only twice as common
Around 1,600 people die of mouth cancer every year
While the death rate has halved for men in their 70s and 80s it has steadily increased for younger men aged 30 to 50.
Early detection and treatment considerably increases survival chances, allows for simpler treatment and results in a better quality of life for sufferers
The British Dental Health Foundation National Dental Survey 2007 found that one in four people have never even heard of mouth cancer.
84% recognised smoking as a major risk factor but only one in two people correctly identified alcohol as a cause
27% believed spicy foods to be a main risk factor, 16% said hot drinks and 15% said kissing!, these are not causes but this just shows that not eveyone is as educated as we would like to think they are.
The Mouth Cancer Foundation also provides a lot of useful and valuable information and advice. Their aim is to raise the awareness of mouth cancer and provide support and information for patients and professionals. Their website offers advice on how to prevent mouth cancer and details of patient experiences.
It’s not easy…. So that’s why at Smiles Better we have put together a Smoking Cessation Programme for you. We understand that giving up smoking requires preparation, dedication and support and we are here to assist you in everyway.
Never give up giving up......
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