MEDIA ALERT – CHARITY’S AWARD-WINNING SCHEME CELEBRATES AT THE BDA CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION 2014
MONDAY14TH APRIL 2014
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE:
- MOUTH CANCER FOUNDATION FOUNDER – DR VINOD JOSHI
To set up an interview and for more information please call Media Ambitions on + 44 (0) 208 940 2222 or email .
Following the successful BDA Conference and Exhibition 2014 in Manchester last week, the Mouth Cancer Foundation is pleased to report the increase in requests from dental practices across the country who wish to join the charity’s award-winning scheme, the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme.
TheMouth Cancer Foundation is committed to spreading messages about early signs and symptoms of all head and neck cancers and their early detection. Through its Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme it is successfully raising awareness among both patients and dental practitioners by calling every dental practice in the UK to carry out a thorough head and neck cancer screening as part of the routine examination.
Dentists have a key role to play in the early detection of mouth cancer and in prevention of the disease by identifying those patients who are exposed to risk factors. In the UK nearly 8000 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer every year and around 60,000 people will be diagnosed over the next decade.It has a worst ratio of deaths to cases compared with skin, cervical, breast and prostate cancer and affects more men than women.
The Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme is 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 examination in order to increase early detection rates and save lives.
Full membership includes access to a dedicated section of the charity website and FREE 1 hour CPD element as well as a wealth of professional development and training modules suitable for all members of the practice team to ensure regular screening benefits practice patients.
The Founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Dr Vinod Joshi says “There was overwhelming support for the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme at the BDA Conference. Mouth Cancer can be deadly and early detection is essential.Our scheme helps dentists and everyone working in a dental practice 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.”
The scheme is open to any dentist registered with the GDC or any dental practice whose clinicians are registered with the GDC For more information 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 - +44 208 940 2222
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Mouth Cancer Foundation –
The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a registered charity no. 1109298.
The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a charity solely dedicated to supporting people affected by head and neck cancer. Support can play a pivotal role in meeting the psychosocial needs of patients. The Mouth Cancer Foundation’s online and telephone support service has given head and neck cancer patients and families the opportunity to articulate the consequences of their cancer journey and communicate their shared experiences. It is vital that the charity continues to provide free accessible information resources and ensure Mouth Cancer Foundation support is provided to those that need them.
About Mouth Cancer
Around 60,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed with mouth cancer over the next decade.
In the UK, over 7,700 people were diagnosed with Mouth Cancer in 2011.
Tobacco use is still considered the main cause of mouth cancer. According to the World Health Organisation, up to half of current smokers will die of a tobacco-related illness – including mouth cancer.
Drinking to excess can increase the risk of mouth cancer by four times. Those who smoke and drink are up to 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer.
Mouth cancer is twice more common in men than in women, though an increasing number of women are being diagnosed with the disease.
Age is another factor, with people over the age of 40 more likely to be diagnosed, though more young people are now being affected than previously.
Poor diet is linked to a third of all cancer cases.
Experts suggest the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), transmitted through oral sex, could overtake tobacco and alcohol as the main risk factor within the coming decade.
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.
Symptoms include:
An ulcer or white or red patch anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within 3 weeks.
A lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neck that persists for more than 3 weeks.
A difficulty in swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw or tongue.
A numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.
A feeling that something is caught in the throat.
A chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists more than 6 weeks.
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
Mouth Cancer Foundation © 2014