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Prevention is key in Mouth Cancer Action Month

3rd November 2010 Print

This November is Mouth Cancer Action Month, which is organised by the British Dental Health Foundation. It says that 5,000 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer every year and 2,000 unfortunately die from it, which is one death every five hours.

The key message for this year's Mouth Cancer Action Month is ‘if in doubt, get it checked out'.

To mark the month, Simplyhealth's Dental Advisor, Michael Thomas, has this advice on how to protect yourself: "There are some key lifestyle choices you can make to protect yourself against mouth cancer. The biggest is not smoking, as tobacco is the most common cause of cancer.

"Drinking over the recommended daily amount of alcohol also increases the risk, and if you smoke at the same time it will increase your mouth's absorption of the tobacco. People who drink and smoke to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer, which is a very sobering thought.

"Taking care over your diet and making sure you eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables will help to lower the risk. Of course it's also vital that you visit your dentist on a regular basis, as they will look for signs of mouth cancer and could make an early diagnosis."

With Simplyhealth you can make sure that cost doesn't get in the way of your oral health. The Simply Dental Plan starts from just £7.50 a month and provides cover for check-ups, scale and polish, and treatment. It also includes a one off payment of £5,000 if you're diagnosed with mouth cancer (qualifying periods apply).