This is an important part of your regular check-up and even if you have dentures or just “a few” of your own teeth it is wise to have your mouth checked annually.

A consultation at Ashwater checks your tongue, cheeks, gums and teeth. Your dentist can see parts of your mouth that you cannot see, with their bright light and mirror. Cancer can affect all parts of the body and that includes the mouth. Most often, mouth cancer appears as a painless ulcer that does NOT clear up.

If an ulcer does not heal in 2 weeks, see your dentist.

Mouth cancer appears in different forms; a red or white patch, often painless, should not be ignored as it may develop into cancer. If it is detected early, the chances of a complete cure are very good but cancer of the mouth can kill and the figure is rising. More than 2,000 people die each year from mouth cancer in this country.

Who is at risk?

• Anyone can be affected

• More likely in men

• Most frequent in those over 40

• Smokers

• Heavy drinkers worse if you do both.

• Weakened immune systems

Apart from having regular dental check-ups, use sun blocks to prevent cancer of the lips or face and ensure that you have a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in animal fats (this is thought to prevent all types of cancer).

If we do detect something that we are not entirely happy with at your check-up, we will monitor it and/or refer you to a consultant oral surgeon for an opinion and diagnosis. A referral does not automatically mean that you have cancer but we would rather err on the side of caution and refer you if anything looks suspicious.