Be mouthaware: The 45 second check that could save your life
Are you able to recognise the changes in your mouth? That’s the question being asked by the Coventry Oral Health Team as they support a charity campaign to raise awareness of mouth cancer.
The Coventry Oral Health Team is part of the Coventry Community Dental Service at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. It is urging Coventry residents to be more mouthaware and recognise the early warning signs of mouth cancer, ahead of November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month.
Claire Ford, Oral Health Promotion Lead from Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, says: “Awareness of mouth cancer remains alarmingly low, yet early diagnosis transforms chances of beating mouth cancer from 50 per cent to 90 percent. It is crucial that everyone knows what to look out for and does not hesitate in seeking advice from a health professional.”
“Most people will spend at least a few minutes every day in front of a mirror brushing their teeth, so while there it makes sense to have a quick look inside their mouth. If they notice anything out of the ordinary, such as red or white patches in the mouth, unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or head and neck area, or they have a mouth ulcer that does not heal within three weeks; they should speak to their dentist or doctor.”
Mouth Cancer Action Month takes place throughout November and is organised by the Oral Health Foundation.
The Coventry Oral Health Promotion team will be holding a roadshow to talk to people about mouth cancer, offer advice and also stress the importance of having regular dental check-ups. Come along and meet the team the Coventry Central Library on Wednesday 13 November.
For further information on the Coventry Oral Health Promotion Team, please visit the ‘Our Services’ page of the Trust website: www.covwarkpt.nhs.uk and select ‘O’.
To find out more information about mouth cancer and Mouth Cancer Action Month, visit www.mouthcancer.org