By Dr. Henry Clover, Deputy Chief Dental Officer, Denplan

Only 13 per cent of people ask their dentist to check them for signs of mouth cancer and shockingly almost the same amount of people have never heard of the disease1.

Over the past 20 years the dental profession has rallied to help promote awareness of mouth cancer and Denplan dentists in particular have been among the first to offer free oral cancer screenings. Denplan, a major sponsor of Mouth Cancer Action Month; the annual awareness campaign in November, has been actively supporting the highest standards in private dentistry for more than 25 years.

Denplan member dentists and their teams are in a unique position to share information with you, highlight risks and spot early signs of mouth cancer that can be lifesaving. We are encouraging our 6,500 member dentists to offer free screenings throughout November.

Well over half the population received a dental consultation in the last two years. And as part of the examination dentists perform a pain-free careful check for potentially significant signs, like unusual lumps, red and white patches in the mouth and other possible signs of the disease. Use Mouth Cancer Action Month to ask your dentist if they offer free screenings.

For you, your oral hygiene routine is key and can help prevent other health conditions developing throughout your life. It is about working with your dentist and their dental team so they can identify any factors that could place your dental health at risk, and reduce the daily damage occurring to your teeth and gums.

Denplan’s relationship with the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) encompasses the very essence of what Denplan was founded upon – providing dentists with the tools to support preventive private dentistry.

If you are a dentist or patient interested in finding out more about mouth cancer symptoms, we recommend you visit BDHF’s website.

Don’t be shy – ask your dentist. If you need more tips about preventive dentistry, how best to look after your teeth, how to budget for your preventive private care or to find a Denplan dentist, visit our newly launched website at www.miteeth.co.uk.

1 BDHF survey, October 2012, conducted by Atomik Research

  

Oral Health Foundation

The Oral Health Foundation is a charity that works to improve oral health by providing education, advice, and support to millions of people every year, changing lives for the better. Our mission is to support others in achieving a healthier life through better oral health. Our vision is to live in a world where everybody has a healthy mouth and is free of dental disease. Poor oral health can have a harmful and devastating effect on a person’s life – both for their physical health and mental wellbeing. We are determined to help more people achieve good oral health and have a better quality of life. Sadly, oral disease remains common, across the life course. We are taking the challenge to reduce the harm caused by poor oral health and the responsibility to create a healthier future for everybody. We do this because we believe that everybody deserves to have good oral health. To make sure this happens, by 2024, we will:

    • Work towards decreasing the prevalence of oral disease across communities.
    • Increase the number of people accessing our help and information services.
    • Diversify our range of resources to reach more communities.
    • Successfully campaign for policies which help people achieve healthier lives.
    • Generate new and nurture existing income streams that enable us to deliver our charitable objectives.

We are going to achieve success by:

    • Running awareness campaigns like National Smile Month and Mouth Cancer Action Month.
    • Giving anybody who needs it direct support through our Dental Helpline.
    • Influencing policy on subjects like dental access, sugar, and tobacco.
    • Providing consumer advice on oral health care products and working alongside manufacturers to make sure products do what they claim to do.
    • Creating resources and information that communicates positive oral health messages.
    • Working alongside others who share our passion for health and wellbeing.

To find out more about us, visit our website at https://www.dentalhealth.org/

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