photo opportunity 2pm, Wednesday 14 November, Ninewells Hospital foyer, Dundee.
Not the most common reason for a visit to the dentist - but regular check ups are vital for early detection of mouth disease.
This is the message that Professor Graham Ogden and his team at the University of Dundee are promoting during mouth cancer awareness week 12-16 November.
The team are running a series of events to raise the issues behind a dangerous but not commonly known cancer. Oral cancer in Scottish men is as common as cervical cancer in women and has increased by almost 50% in the last ten years. Smoking and drinking are the main risks. Smoking increases the chances of getting mouth cancer by ten times and drinking by 25 times.
Graham's team of staff and students will be running drop-in clinics for mouth screening and manning stalls at Ninewells with information for the public on the risks of mouth cancer. They have produced leaflets and advertised the drop in sessions to raise awareness of the disease and how to recognise it. Professor Graham Ogden said: "It is important for people to visit the dentist regularly, not just to check their teeth but so that they can be screened for mouth disease at the same time."
From 1985 to 1995 the number of cases of mouth cancer in Scotland rose by 50%. Less than 50% of people survive more than five years after being diagnosed./ENDS
Notes for Editors