Studies show that mouth cancer is on the increase and that early detection dramatically improves the chances of recovery. Mouth cancer screening is a short procedure at the dental practice that involves a thorough examination of your whole mouth, including the use of a handheld scanning device that is used to examine any lumps or lesions that you might have. This will highlight any risk factors so we can treat or refer you as quickly as possible.
It is recommended that you come in for a screening on a yearly basis. If you have any sores, lumps or long-term ulcers in your mouth, no matter how small, it is very important that you come in to have it looked at.
Late detection of mouth cancers have resulted in a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma, with about 2,700 deaths per year in the UK.
Because smoking is strongly linked with many forms of cancer and other dental problems, we always encourage our patients to quit smoking. An excellent source of information is the Mouth Cancer Foundation if you require any further information.