Get yourself screened

Get yourself screened

01/11/2018

What are you going to be doing during November? Recovering from half-term, Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night? Writing long lists of presents and food for Christmas? Going for mouth cancer screening in Burnham?

Bet that last one wasn’t on your list, but it is on ours at The Dental Surgery Burnham. November is Mouth Cancer Action Month in the UK, so we will be thinking about oral cancers and booking people in for screenings. Of course, you don’t have to come for a screening in November, we often them all year round. But we do advise that you get a screening once a year, particularly if you are over 35.

It’s a lifestyle disease

Most mouth cancers are linked to lifestyles, and if you have been, or are, a smoker or a drinker, you are going to increase your chances of getting mouth cancer by quite a lot. Conversely, if you have always been good at eating your 5-a-day fruit and veg quota, this will have helped reduce your chances of getting a mouth cancer. But don’t leave it up to guesswork and wishful thinking, come in a for a screening once a year at The Dental Surgery Burnham and discover for sure if you are in the clear.

What happens during a screening?

We usually add a mouth cancer screening onto one of your 6-monthly check-ups. It doesn’t take long. We check around inside your mouth for unusual lumps, bumps and lesions and also check your head and feel your neck to look for anything odd going on.

We will also ask you if you have noticed anything unusual, such as ulcers and bumps that don’t heal, tingly places, or if your voice has changed. If we do come across something that looks a bit unusual, we will make sure that it is investigated further after removal. Don’t be alarmed, mouth cancer is easily treated in its early stages. But don’t be complacent either. Around 6,800 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in the UK, which is about 2% of all cancers diagnosed.

If you find something between screenings

If you discover something untoward between screenings, come in and get it checked out.