Tag: oral cancer

Blog posts, information and advice which mention Oral cancer

Mouth Cancer – Are You at Risk?

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

November 2015 is mouth cancer action month.

Mouth cancer action month was set up in 1998 to begin to combat the growing concerns about a significant increase in diagnoses of mouth cancer in the UK. The primary concern was that there seemed to be a lack of general awareness about the signs and symptoms of oral cancer, knowing what to look out for and being confident to report it to a healthcare professional. This year our dental practice in Harrow is doing its part to raise the awareness of mouth cancer.

Throughout this blog post we have placed several hyperlinks to additional resources, if you click on these you can find out more information about the subjects highlighted.

The causes of mouth cancer.

Tobacco

Most mouth cancers can be linked back to smoking cigars and pipes, there are also instances of habits such as chewing tobacco being a contributory factor to mouth cancer. Alcohol also gives an increased risk of mouth cancer, particularly if consumed at the same time as tobacco.

Sunlight

With a tendency for people to lay out in the sun more, over exposure to sunlight can also responsible for causing some cancer of the lips.

Sexual Preferences

Many recent reports have linked mouth cancer to the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the major cause of cervical cancer and affects the skin that lines the moist areas of the body. HPV can be spread through oral sex, and research now suggests that it could soon rival smoking and drinking as one of the main causes of mouth cancer. Practicing safe sex and limiting the number of partners you have may help reduce your chances of contracting HPV.

The signs of oral cancer

There are many different forms of oral cancer. However, the primary signs and symptoms may include:

  • A lump or thickening of the soft tissue in your mouth, including the gums, tongue and cheek.
  • Soreness and/or a feeling that something is caught in your throat.
  • Difficulty in chewing or swallowing.
  • Jaw pain.
  • Difficulty moving your tongue or jaw.
  • Numbness of the tongue or other area of your mouth.
  • Hoarseness.
  • White or red patches in the mouth the do not normally. (Typically these areas should heal within three weeks)
  • Mouth ulcers that don’t heal within three weeks.

Early detection of mouth cancer

The two best ways of detecting mouth cancer early are to be mouth aware at home and to have regular visits to your dentist. A modern dental practice should always undertake the mouth cancer check with every dental health assessment and this is a primary way of spotting the first signs of mouth cancer.

In order to be more mouth aware we have created a free guide, this goes through seven points for self-assessment at home. Looking at the risk factors for oral cancer and how you can lower them. You can download your 7 point mouth cancer self assessment guide here.

If your dentist believes they have found an early sign of mouth cancer than they will immediately refer you to the local hospital who can carry out more extensive tests which may include biopsies.

If mouth cancer is spotted early, the chances of a complete cure are good, and the smaller the area or ulcer the better the chance of a cure.

 

How to keep a healthy mouth

Mouth cancer awareness



 

Blue Lip Selfie Campaign – #bluelipselfie

Get involved with our Blue Lip Selfie campaign and show your support for mouth cancer!

This year, the British Dental Health Foundation have joined forces with main sponsors Denplan and created a fantastic new campaign to help raise awareness of mouth cancer.

They’re asking people to wear blue lips as a visible sign of support for mouth cancer and take a selfie. We hope this positive, interactive approach will significantly boost awareness of the disease and get everybody taking about mouth cancer, the risk factors involved, the signs and symptoms, and what we can do to help reduce our risk.

So what are you waiting for? Show the world your perfect pout and be part of something huge that aims to get everybody talking about mouth cancer!

Take your  #bluelipselfie and donate to mouth cancer

How to take part

Everybody can take part in the Blue Lip Selfie campaign; men or women, old or young, it doesn’t matter.

All you need to do is take a selfie of yourself or alongside family, friends or colleagues, and share it with the hashtag #bluelipselfie to help raise awareness get the campaign going viral and encourage others to show their support for mouth cancer.

 

Answers to Some Common Questions about Mouth Cancer

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

Did you know that your routine six monthly dental health check should include a mouth cancer screening? There is unfortunately no national programme in the UK regarding screen for mouth cancer and it is down each individual to ensure they visit their dentist to be screened every six months.

As part of our oral healthcare information program we have written this blog post to answer your common questions about mouth/oral cancer.

First signs of mouth cancer.

There are a range of signs of mouth cancer which typically include things like:

  • Mouth ulcers which don’t heal.
  • Persistent discomfort or pain in your mouth.
  • Read or white patches in and around your mouth or towards your throat.
  • Lumps in your neck caused by enlarged lymph nodes.
  • Difficulty in swallowing which may be accompanied by pain or burning sensation when chewing.
  • Bad breath otherwise known as halitosis. Bad breath in itself is not a sign of mouth cancer but if you have cancer bad breath can be worse or more frequent than normal.
  • A lump on/or thickening of your lip.
  • Unusual numbness or bleeding in your mouth.

Checking for mouth cancer.

When your dentist undertakes your dental health check and includes a mouth cancer screening they will:

  1. Check inside of your mouth with the help of a small mirror.
  2. Look at your neck and underneath your jaw.
  3. Check to see if your lymph nodes are swollen.
  4. Observe your face and neck looking for swellings, skin abnormalities, moles and asymmetry.
  5. Look for any changes in colour or texture around the board of your lip.
  6. Visually examine your gums and the inside of your lips/cheek.
  7. Examine your tongue for changes in colour, texture, Mobility and symmetry.
  8. Move your tongue from either side to check underneath.
  9. Asked you to say “Ah” and check the back of your mouth and soft tissue areas.

Oral Cancer Beauty Dental

We have also written a self examination guide for mouth cancer screening in Harrow, this can be downloaded here.

Free guide available for immediate download…

“7 Point Self Examination Guide for Oral Cancer”

One of the most important things with mouth cancer is early detection, so in this guide we will talk about how you can examine yourself at home, the risk factors for oral cancer and how you can lower them.Our guide is exclusively available by e-mail so please enter your details opposite for immediate access.Dr Nishan Dixit
Dr Nishan DixitBDS (Lond) 1994,

LDS RCS (ENG) 1994

GDC Reg No. 70208

Mouth cancer prognosis.

The prognosis for mouth cancer depends largely upon how advanced your cancer is and the type of cancer that you have. It also depends upon exactly where your cancer is located. Cancer Research UK gives the following statistics.

Rates for individual mouth cancers include

  • Lip cancer – nearly 90 out of 100 people diagnosed (89%) will live for 5 years or more
  • Tongue cancer – 55 out of 100 women (55%) and 44 out of 100 men (44%) will live for 5 years or more
  • Oral cavity – this includes all other mouth cancers (not lip or tongue) and nearly 55 out of every 100 women (55%) and 48 out of every 100 men (48%) will be alive 5 years later

The key with improving the prognosis for mouth cancer is early detection. The National Institute Of Dental and Craniofacial Research reports that A five-year survival rate for those with localised disease at diagnosis is 83% compared with only 32% of those whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Steps you can take to lower the risk of mouth cancer.

There are various steps you can take to lower your risk of developing mouth cancer, these include:

  1. Monitoring your tobacco/alcohol use. Many cases of mouth cancer can be linked directly to smoking cigarettes.
  2. Be aware of transmitting sexually transmitted diseases. Human papillomavirus (specifically the HPV 16 type) have been linked also to the increased risk of developing mouth cancer.
  3. Exposure to the sun. You might think that you don’t sunbathe with your mouth open, so how can this increase your risk of mouth cancer? The reality is that mouth cancer can also happen on your lip , which does indeed come into contact with direct sunlight.

Mouth cancer treatment.

As we have already said the prognosis depends upon the type of cancer and how far advanced your cancer is. So long as your cancer has been detected early and hasn’t spread to other areas of your body then a complete cure may be possible with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Once again, the effectiveness of treatment really does depend on early detection.

The NHS has written an excellent introduction to the various treatments of mouth cancerincluding:

  • Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
  • Surgery
  • Radiotherapy
  • Chemotherapy
  • Cetuximab

>> Read more about these treatments here

 A patient’s experience of oral cancer

This gentleman gives a very positive story of oral cancer and how its early detection impacted him.

 

Blue Court Dental Centre  are a local family dental practice in the heart of Harrow, Middlesex. As well as offering a range of dental treatments to the local people they also offer dental healthcare assessments including routine oral cancer screening.

Mouth Ulcers – causes, treatment and symptoms

Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers are small painful sores that form in the mouth. The most common type is called aphthous or simple ulcers.

There are three main types of ulcers:mouth ulcers

  • Minor ulcers are small, non-scarring and usually heal without any treatment within two weeks.
  • Major ulcers are 1cm or larger, have a raised border and can last from two weeks to several months. Usually only one or two appear at a time. They can be very painful and cause difficulty eating, are slower to heal and can leave scars.
  • Herpetiform ulcers are multiple tiny sores that can be very painful, particularly if they fuse together to form one larger sore. They can last from one week to two months.

Who’s at risk from ulcers?

Most people have at least one attack of mouth ulcers in their lifetime, but mouth ulcers are more common in women and those under the age of 40. Up to one in five people have repeated attacks of mouth ulcers.
More than a third of people with recurrent mouth ulcers have a family history of it. This figure rises to over 80% if both parents get frequent mouth ulcers.

What causes mouth ulcers?

Minor mouth ulcers are usually caused by:

  • Damage to the inside lining of your mouth by very hot or acidic food or drink
  • Biting your inner cheeks
  • Brushing your teeth and gums very hard
  • Poorly fitted dentures or orthodontic appliances (braces)
  • A very dry mouth due to a medical condition
  •  Eating food to which you are allergic
  •  Trauma from food like crusty bread and crisps
  •  Stress, or lacking vitamins or minerals
  • Certain medications

Certain medical conditions can also make mouth ulcers more likely, such as:

  1. Vitamin B12 deficiency
  2. Viral infections
  3. Iron deficiency
  4. Celiac disease ( intolerance to a protein called gluten )
  5. Crohn’s disease
  6. HIV infection

What are the symptoms?

Most mouth ulcers are easy to spot because they are round or oval in shape, whitish in colour and inflamed around the edge.
They are usually seen on the inside of the lips and cheeks, on the floor of the mouth and under the tongue.

Treatment of mouth ulcers

Most mouth ulcers do not need specific treatment and heal naturally without medication. Mouth ulcers usually heal within 7 – 14 days, however treatment can help to numb the pain, protect the ulcer from further damage and decrease the chances of a bacterial infection. Some medicines may also speed up the healing if used early.

In a very small number of cases, ulcers may be a sign of mouth cancer. The recovery rate for mouth cancer is good if spotted early enough, so you should get any persistent mouth ulcers checked out and have regular check-ups with your dentist. We offer a mouth cancer screening service, if you are concerned or interested please do contact us.

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

 

 

Mouth Cancer Awareness Week – Have you Been Checked?

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

This week (11th-17th November) is Mouth Cancer Awareness Week.

What is mouth cancer?

mouth cancer diagnosisMouth cancer is caused by an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells. It is a malignant growth that can occur in any part of the mouth. The Two most common symptoms of mouth cancer are:
• an ulcer in your mouth or on your lip that won’t heal
• constant discomfort or pain in your mouth

Other symptoms can include:

• red or white patches in your mouth
• a lump on your lip, tongue or in your neck
• bad breath
• unexplained bleeding in your mouth
• numbness in your mouth
• loose teeth
• problems chewing or swallowing, difficulty moving your jaw or a feeling that something is caught in your throat
• changes to your voice – it may sound husky or quieter or you may slur your words
• weight loss because of problems swallowing

The BBC have more information about identifying oral cancer on their website.

Who is most at risk?

Nearly 6,236 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer every year in the UK. Just under half (44 per cent) of all mouth cancer cases were diagnosed in people aged 65 and over, with more than a quarter (25 per cent) diagnosed in the under 55s. Although the gap has significantly diminished over time, men are still twice more likely to develop mouth cancer than women.

Risk Factors

Smoking – Still considered to be the leading cause of mouth cancer in the UK, tobacco use transforms saliva into a deadly cocktail that damages cells in the mouth and can turn them cancerous. Advice on giving up smoking is here.
Chewing tobacco – Smokeless tobacco such as betel quid, gutkha and paan, is normally defined as any tobacco product that is placed in the mouth or nose and not burned. Smokeless tobacco is used particularly by south Asian communities. Other parts of Asian communities are also more at risk from the effects of smokeless tobacco including people of Bangladeshi origin.
High alcohol consumption– People who smoke and drink to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer, as alcohol aids the absorption of tobacco into the mouth. Drinking to excess can increase the risk of developing mouth cancer by four times.
Have a weakened immune system – People who have HIV/AIDS, or who are taking medicines that suppress the immune system, are more likely to develop mouth cancer.
Poor diet – It is recommended that people eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes many vitamins and minerals.

poor diet excessive alcohol increases risk of oral cancer

The earlier mouth cancer is diagnosed, the better the chances of recovery. Your dentist may spot mouth cancer in its early stages during a routine examination, so it’s important to visit your dentist regularly.

More information about Oral Cancer is Here. And there’s our own tips on oral cancer prevention on our own website.

Blue Court Dental Care in Harrow always check for early signs of oral cancer. Please book your health check appointment today.