This November Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre are proud supporters of the Oral Health Foundation’s Mouth Cancer Action Month.
Currently mouth cancer is one of the few cancers experts predict will see an increase in diagnosis over the coming years. More people in the UK die each year of mouth cancer than of cervical and testicular cancer combined, but still awareness on the major risk factors of mouth cancer is as low as 9%.
Mouth Cancer Risk Factors
Although mouth cancer can affect anybody and is strongly associated with the age and gender of a person, around 75% of all diagnosis are linked to lifestyle factors. This means that by amending our lifestyle choices, we can cut the chances of developing mouth cancer.
Smoking
Most mouth cancer cases continue to be linked to smoking tobacco.
Each cigarette transforms saliva so that it can damage cells in the mouth and can turn them cancerous.
Smoking increases your risk of developing mouth cancer by three times compared to non-smokers.
Smoking cigars and pipes increases this risk further.
Smokeless tobacco use can increase the risk of developing mouth cancer by 15 times.
By quitting smoking, you can help to reduce your risk of developing the disease by more than a third. Another great reason to kick the habit!
Alcohol Consumption
One third of mouth cancer cases are linked to drinking alcohol to excess.
The key is excess! An occasional glass of wine is not a problem, drinking a bottle in an evening is.
Human Papillomavirus
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is estimated to overtake smoking as the number one cause of mouth cancer in the future.
HPV is very common and almost every sexually active person will get HPV at some time in their lives.
90% of HPV infections go away by themselves
Sometime HPV infections can persist and cause abnormal tissue growth and other changes to cells, which can cause cancer.
Limiting the number of partners, you have and practising safe sex will help to reduce the risk.
Environmental factors
Second-hand or environmental tobacco smoke can increase your risk of developing mouth cancer by 87%, even if you have never smoked yourself.
Poor diet can also be linked to more than half of cases. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables will not only keep your body fit and healthy, it will also help to reduce your risk of developing mouth cancer
Last year 3034 people in the UK lost their life to Mouth Cancer. Worldwide Mouth Cancer affects 650,000 per year. The ten-year survival rate is between 18% and 57%, depending on where the cancer strikes and how early it is diagnosed. The incidence of mouth cancer has risen by 49% over the past 10 years. However, the 5 years urvival rate has hardly improved in last few decades due to late detection.
This is why it is so important to attend for regular dental appointments. If in doubt, get it checked out!
If you are concerned about any changes you have noticed in your mouth do not hesitate to contact Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre on 01622 682 029 and book an appointment.