Mouth cancer has been increasing at an
alarming rate over the past ten years to a point where more than two thousand
people die of this disease in the United Kingdom each year.
There are a number of risk factors associated
with this disease. These risk factors include smoking, excessive alcohol use,
poor diet and the HPV virus. In fact it has been reported that nine in ten
cases are linked to lifestyle choices.
Mouth cancer is a serious concern and I am
worried that the people in the United Kingdom aren’t educated enough on the
disease and what to look for. With over six thousand seven hundred new cases
each year, this disease has increased by more than fifty per cent in the past
ten years. This is something we need to be worried about and educate our
patient on, ensuring they are aware of the dangers, the symptoms and signs and
when to seek medical or dental assistance if they think something is wrong.
Another concern that I have is that the
majority of mouth cancer cases are diagnosed at stage four. Stage four is the
advanced stage of this disease. The disease has more fatalities a year than
cervical and testicular cancer combined.
If we are able to catch the disease in the
early stages, the survival rate increases significantly with the five year life
expectancy increasing by almost ninety per cent. I do believe that patients who
attend their routine dental appointments have an improved risk of the disease
being caught early, so an effective treatment plan can be put in place to
increase their survival rate.
I have always been a strong believer in
education, which is why the team and I are always taking advantage of courses
to expand our knowledge to provide better patient care at all times. Staying up
to date with the latest dental trends and news can ensure our patients receive
the highest level of patient care at all times.
Education can also improve the chances of
mouth cancer being caught in the early stages. Educating the UK public and
making them aware of what to look for can help increase their survival rate and
ensure they get the right treatment within the shortest period of time.
