Ignore us at your peril (From Warrington Guardian)

Ignore us at your peril

DENTISTS in Knutsford last week warned that regular check-ups could save a patient's life.

Alastair Kennedy said signs of mouth cancer could go undetected in people who never visited a surgery.

"The feeling is that various forms of mouth cancer are being ignored," he said.

"But it is becoming something we're being told to focus on."

Surgeries in Knutsford now see fewer patients with tooth problems because of improvements in dental care.

Mr Kennedy believes people are now more likely to visit him once a year - rather than every six months.

Cancer

But he said it was important to diagnose mouth cancer early because advanced forms could require extensive surgery.

"The treatment can be particularly disfiguring," he said.

Mouth cancer kills about 1,700 sufferers a year, but experts claim most people are unaware of the condition.

It has a higher mortality rate than breast or cervical cancer, with about half of sufferers dying of the disease.

Last week Mr Kennedy, of the Gaskell Avenue Dental Practice, said a simple check-up could significantly reduce the risks.

"It's something we've been checking for the past couple of years," he said.

"A lot of early identification can be tied in with better chances of survival."

Next month the British Dental Health Foundation will run a national mouth cancer awareness week.

The group's campaign - called Conversation Killer - aims to highlight the disease that kills one person every five hours. Martin Edgar, also of the Gaskell Avenue surgery, said the disease's impact could be combated by such campaigns.

"People must be made more aware of mouth cancer because too few people know about it," he said.

Those who smoke and drink alcohol are more likely to contract mouth cancer.

Dentists can spot signs of the disease by looking for lumps or patches of discoloured skin.

Patients should look out for ulcers that fail to heal within about two weeks.

But Mr Kennedy said he hoped never to diagnose the disease.

"You don't want to come across these things too often," he said.