MEDIA ALERT –‘HAVE YOU GOT TWO MINUTES TO SPARE TO SAVE A LIFE?’ MOUTH CANCER FOUNDATION ASKS DENTISTRY SHOW DELEGATES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – WEDNESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 2013

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE:

  • FOUNDER OF THE MOUTH CANCER FOUNDATION – DR VINOD JOSHI
  • MOUTH CANCER SCREENING ACCREDITATION SCHEME CONSULTANT – NICKI ROWLAND

To set up an interview andfor more informationplease call Media Ambitions on + 44 (0) 208 940 2222 or email .

“Mouth Cancer Foundation Consultant, Nicki Rowland, plans a life-saving talk to the Nurses Forum at the Dentistry Show at 10am on Saturday 2nd March. Nicki explains how by carrying out thorough head and neck cancer checks at routine appointments lives can be saved.”

Dr Vinod Joshi. Founder, the Mouth Cancer Foundation

“Oral cancer is like an iceberg. There may be very little on the surface but what’s underneath is deadly and early detection is essential. We have devised a ‘Two minutes to save a life’ screening protocol, which is a 10-point checklist that every dentist should be able to include in their routine examinations, whether they’re based at an NHS, private or mixed practice.”

Nicki Rowland, Mouth Cancer FoundationConsultant and Practice Manager, Perfect 32

Delegates attending next week’s Dentistry Show are being asked to consider if they can spare two minutes which could ultimately save lives. They will learn how through a brand new Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Schemefrom the Mouth Cancer Foundationwhen Charity Consultant Nicki Rowland speaks at the Dentistry Show Nurses Forum.

The schemewill recognise dental practices that demonstrate a visible commitment to increasing public awareness of mouth cancerscreening to all patients and to establish a documented referral pathway with a local specialist department.

The charity launches an in-depth pilot of the annual membership programme at the Dentistry Show ahead of the official launch at the BDA Conference on Saturday 27thApril 2013. The pilot practices will road test all aspects of the initiative to ensure it runs smoothly. They will work through the accreditation process and act in a focus group capacity by feeding back on the scheme, its methods, quality and efficiency. On completion of the relevant criteria they will receive full accreditation when the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme launches.

Nicki Rowland continues…“we piloted the programme last year at our practiceand it really works. It’s a very simple package and a case of standardising what needs to be done. There are lots of benefits to practices. As well as saving lives it is a practice builder. It encourages footfall and trust. How can we help people if they don’t go to the dentist? The scheme is as much about educating the public as it is about screening them.”

Awareness is integral to achieving early detection of head and neck cancers, thus saving lives. The Mouth Cancer Foundation will accredit dental practices that meet certain criteria and routinely participate in oral cancer screening. Full membership includes access to a dedicated section of the charity website and FREE 1 hour CPD element as well as professional development and training modules suitable for all members of the practice team to ensure regular screening benefits practice patients.

Dr Joshi adds…”the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme helps dentists to know what they are looking for and how to check and refer patients. This will allow head and neck cancers to be caught earlier. Head and neck cancers are particularly vicious and debilitating when detected late. Patients who survive are a huge drain on medical resources for the rest of their lives, in terms of post operative and the psychological care required. With earlier detection, lives are saved and costs on the NHS will reduce dramatically.”

The Mouth Cancer Screening AccreditationScheme aims to improve outcomes for head and neck cancers in accordance with The British Dental Association’s occasional paper for the early detection and prevention of oral cancer and NICE guidelines. It offers a realistic approach for dentists who seek to adopt best practice in oral cavity examination and opportunistic screening. The scheme embraces recent Care Quality Commission, Information Governance and Clinical Governance requirements and necessitates the recommendation by the General Dental Council for continuous professional development for the management of oral cancer for dentists.

The Mouth Cancer Screening AccreditationSchemeis open to any dental practice whose clinicians are registered with the GDC. For more information or to take part in the pilot scheme please contact the Mouth Cancer Foundation via or call +44 (0) 1924 950 950 for more information.

-ENDS-

For general press enquiries, please contact:

Elizabeth Ayto Laverack or Izabela Nair

Media Ambitions - +44 208940 2222

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Mouth Cancer Foundation –

The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a registered charity no. 1109298.

In the UK, nearly 8000 people are diagnosed with Mouth Cancer every year. Cancers can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, and adjacent areas like the throat, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, sinus, and other sites in the head and neck area. In its very early stages, these Mouth Cancers can be easy to ignore.

Symptoms include:

1. An ulcer or white or red patch anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within 3 weeks

2. A lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neck that persists for more than 3 weeks

3. A difficulty in swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw or tongue

5. A numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth

6. A feeling that something is caught in the throat

7. A chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists more than 6 weeks

8. An unexplained loosening of teeth with no dental cause

More information about Mouth Cancer is available at the Mouth Cancer Foundation web site or by emailing .

The Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme is supported by:

Henry Schein –

Henry Schein, a U.S.-based company, entered the U.K. in 1991 as a dental consumables business, and has evolved over the past two decades to be a full-service distributor of health care products and services to dental, medical, and animal health office-based practitioners. Henry Schein UK, affiliate to Henry Schein, Inc., employs over 1000 employees and is based in Gillingham, Kent.

Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC) is the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100® Index, Henry Schein employs more than 15,000 Team Schein Members and serves approximately 775,000 customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralised and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 96,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 110,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 25 countries.

DPAS –

DPAS is a leading provider of practice-branded dental plan administration services to practices and their patients in the UK and Ireland. For more information, call 01747 870910 or visit

ProDentalCPD –

ProDentalCPD is a pioneer and one of the world's largest publishers access of online dental continuing professional development (CPD) articles and videos covering the fields of Dentistry, Dental Nursing, Dental Hygiene and Dental Technology. ProDentalCPD offers high quality verifiable CPD and postgraduate training for the whole dental team.

Nicki Rowland, Practice Manager, Perfect 32 –

Nicki Rowland is the Practice Manager of Perfect32 Dental Practice in East Yorkshire. Nicki gained a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy in 1992 and worked as a chartered, state registered physiotherapist with patients presenting with musculoskeletal problems until 2004 before having a family. In 2006, Nicki and her dentist husband opened Perfect 32 offering the provision for both NHS and private dentistry. The practice has won many awards for training and community projects and has always had a special interest in the early detection of oral cancer and raising public awareness of this hidden killer. Nicki has gained many management and leadership qualifications over the years and is committed to the development of the oral cancer detection and referral service that her team offers to the general public. Nicki is also working as a Consultant with the Mouth Cancer Foundation on the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme.

Mouth Cancer Foundation © 2013