Watch Your Mouth

Photo opportunity: 1.15pm, Monday 10 November, Liar’s Bar, Dundee University Students’ Association, University of Dundee, Airlie Place, Dundee.

A visit to the dentist may not be everyone's idea of fun - but it could save your life.

This is the message that Professor Graham Ogden and his team at the University of Dundee will be promoting during mouth cancer awareness week (MCAW) 9-15 November. The focus this year is on early detection and various events over the week will raise awareness about mouth cancer, the lifestyle factors with which it is associated, and the warning signs of the disease.

Oral cancer in Scottish men is as common as cervical cancer in women. In Scotland, there are 500 new cases diagnosed each year (men and women). Smoking increases the chances of getting mouth cancer by 10 times and drinking by 25 times.

Cancer can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips and throat. Mouth cancers have a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma.

Professor Ogden, along with Viv Binnie at the University of Glasgow Dental School, recently received £83,000 from the Partnership Action on Tobacco & Health (managed by ASH Scotland) to train dental staff in smoking cessation to help their patients quit smoking and reduce their chances of developing mouth cancer.

During MCAW, the key messages to the public are:

• register with a dentist, and attend at least once a year for a check-up.
• a mouth ulcer that does not heal within three weeks, or a red or white patch in the mouth, should be examined by a dentist.
• people who smoke or drink alcohol are more at risk, but mouth cancer can affect both sexes, and any age group.

Local NHS dental staff will be on hand to give advice at the following locations:

Monday 10 November, 9.30am-3.30pm, ASDA, Kirkton, Dundee. Wednesday 12 November, 9.30am-3.30pm, Ninewells Hospital (main concourse), Dundee.

In addition, there will be information points in Dundee Dental Hospital, Drumhar Health Centre in Perth, Dundee University Students' Association, the Health Shop in Ninewells Hospital and in the Link Medical Centre, Montrose.

Professor Graham Ogden said, "Survival rates for those diagnosed with mouth cancer have declined in recent years. It is vital that people are aware of the warning signs and of the risk factors such as smoking, and that they visit their dentist if in any doubt.

I hope that the work of university staff and students alongside NHS staff during MCAW will raise awareness and help combat this condition."

For an interview with Prof Ogden, call Esther Black, Press Officer, 01382 344768, e.z.black@dundee.ac.uk

Editors' notes

The number of cases of mouth cancer in Scotland has doubled over the last 20 years

Mouth cancer is twice as common in Scotland than in England

Warning signs of mouth cancer include bleeding, swelling and numbness of the face

This year's MCAW motto is Watch Your Mouth

For more information visit www.mouthcancerawareness.org

By Esther Black, Press Officer 01382 344768 e.z.black@dundee.ac.uk