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Mouth Cancer Action Month

20-07-2022

Mouth Cancer Action Month is held in November every year and is supported by the Mouth Cancer Foundation and the British Dental Health Foundation.

Mouth cancer could affect anybody

Mouth cancer is one of the UK’s fastest increasing cancers, with cases of oral cancer in the UK up by more than 50% in the last decade alone. While many cases are linked to lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, poor diet and sexual activity, it is important to remember that mouth cancer could affect anybody.

Signs & Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Mouth Cancer, these are things to look out for:

• Ulcers that do not heal within 3 weeks
• Pain or discomfort in the mouth
• Lumps and swellings of no obvious cause in the mouth or neck
• Bleeding from the mouth or throat
• Red or white patches inside the mouth
• Changes in texture; hardness, roughness
• Teeth that become loose
• Difficulty or pain with swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw
• Persistent hoarseness or changes to the voice
• Persistent coughing or the feeling that something is ‘stuck’ in the throat
• Numbness or tingling of the lips or tongue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Dentures that suddenly stop fitting properly

At-Home Check

The do it yourself mouth cancer check that may save your life.

Are you checking your mouth for cancer once a month? Do it regularly and save your life!

During a self-examination, look at the skin on the face and neck to check for:

• New swellings
• Moles and spots that get bigger, become hard or start to bleed
• Changes to the colour or texture of the skin

That’s quite a list but remember the mouth is prone to all sorts of damage. We bite ourselves, burn ourselves with hot food and drink and damage the inside of our mouths with spicy foods or scrape it with hard things. Bleeding gums and loose teeth are commonly caused by gum disease. Many people are prone to mouth ulcers (never lasting more than 3 weeks).

Skin conditions like lichen planus can cause ulceration, changes to texture and white patches and infection with thrush and other microorganisms are common. Most dentures become loose simply because they are old. Pain in the mouth is often due to toothache or abscesses. The chances of the signs and symptoms above being due to cancer are low but we all know our own bodies’ best so if you have ANY SUSPICION THAT SOMETHING MAY BE WRONG contact your dentist or doctor IMMEDIATELY.

Peace Of Mind

Every dental consultation commences with an extra-oral and intra-oral examination, evaluated in conjunction with your medical history and lifestyle, to determine whether you are at risk of mouth cancer.

If you have noticed any of the signs and symptoms described on this website or have any other reason to believe you may have mouth or other head and neck cancer you should CONTACT YOUR DENTIST OR DOCTOR WITHOUT DELAY.