Help us to save lives!
Welcome to the British Dental Health Foundation's Mouth Cancer Action website.
The British Dental Health Foundation is one of the leading campaigners to help raise awareness of the risks and symptoms of mouth cancer in the world. In the UK, we organise our annual Mouth Cancer Action Month campaign each November to encourage everyone to find out more about a disease which has increased by approaching 50 per cent since 1997.
We estimate that over the next decade around 60,000 people in
the UK will be diagnosed with the disease. Without early detection an estimated
30,000 people will die. Worldwide, over 460,000 people are expected to die from mouth cancer each year by 2030.
Mouth cancer can affect anyone, but people who smoke, drink alcohol to excess, have a poor diet or use chewing and smokeless tobacco are particularly at risk. More recently, one of the most common sexually transmittted infections - the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV for short - has been linked to mouth cancer.
Looking out for the early warning signs of mouth cancer is really important. The warning signs include:
- Ulcers which do not heal within three weeks
- Red and white patches in the mouth
- Unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth
Our message to everyone is please take action – ‘If In Doubt, Get Checked Out’.
Latest News
Cancer survivors face poor quality of life
Up to half of all head and neck cancer survivors face a diminished quality of life, even after five years of survival.
That is according to a recent study1 undertaken by the University of Iowa, which concluded that a large percentage of long-term survivors of head and neck cancer have poor oral function, resulting in persistent eating problems and long term depression.
Read the full story here.
Sign our e-petition
We are urging the government to review the NHS dental charges by including an exemption category for patients who have had treatment for mouth cancer. Help us by signing this e-petition.
Patients want mouth cancer checks
The majority of patients visiting their dentist would like to
be checked for mouth cancer, the results of a new survey have revealed.
The findings showed that nine in ten patients (88 per cent) would like to be checked for the disease. Despite the public's desire to be checked for cancer, only one in seven people (14 per cent) indicated their dentist had explained the risks and symptoms of mouth cancer to them.
Read the full story here.
New virus implicated in head and neck cancers
A common virus has
been discovered as a cancer-causing virus, according to American scientists.
The breakthrough comes as USC’s Laboratory for Developmental Genetics confirmed the human cytomegalovirus (hCMV), a herpes virus found in the mouth, acts as a catalyst for salivary gland cancer and could have a role in the development of other cancers, including mouth cancer.
Read the full story here.
