Are you able to recognise the changes in your mouth? That’s the question posed by Smile Essential Dental Practice in Leicester as we support a charity campaign to raise awareness of mouth cancer.

The dental practice, based on Narborough Road, Leicester is urging Leicester residents to be more mouth aware and recognise the early warning signs of mouth cancer, for November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month.

With awareness of the disease remaining alarmingly low, Dr Niket Patel say’s that a simple 45 second check is often all that’s needed to identify anything unusual and be able to then seek professional guidance.

Dr Niket Patel practice principle says: “Early diagnosis transforms our chances of beating mouth cancer from 50 per cent to 90 percent so it is crucial that we know what to look out for and that we do not hesitate in seeking advice from a health professional.

“A mouth ulcer that does not heal within three weeks, red or white patches in the mouth and unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or head and neck area, can all be potential signs of mouth cancer so it’s important to be aware of any changes occurring inside your mouth.

“Quite often it is easier to notice lumps and bumps on the outside of the body or to dismiss a mouth ulcer as benign. Most of us will spend at least a few minutes every day in front of a mirror brushing our teeth so while we’re there it makes sense to have a quick look inside the mouth.

“If you keep a lookout for these symptoms then a simple 45 second check really could save your life.

“If you notice anything out of the ordinary, please speak to your dentist or a doctor.”

Mouth Cancer Action Month takes place throughout November and is organised by the Oral Health Foundation.

With around 7,800 Brits diagnosed with mouth cancer last year, the disease is one of the UK’s fastest increasing cancers, with cases rising by a third in the last decade alone.

Survival rates of mouth cancer have not improved in the last 20 years and the oral health charity is concerned that too many are mouth cancers are being diagnosed at a late stage, significantly reducing our chance to beat the disease.

Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE added: “Mouth cancer can appear anywhere in the mouth including the lips, tongue, cheek, throat and gums.

“Mouth cancer can have a devastating effect on a person’s life, impacting on their breathing, eating and speech. Reconstructive surgery could also change their appearance while the experience often has an impact on confidence and self-esteem.

“By developing a greater understanding about the early warning signs and symptoms, the lifestyle factors which increase our risk, and recognising where to go if we notice anything unusual inside our mouth, we can detect mouth cancer early. This will not only improve our chances of beating it but will also reduce the amount of invasive surgery needed to treat it.

“During every dental check-up, your dentist will do a visual examination for mouth cancer and look for anything that might be a cause for concern. That’s why it’s so important to keep regular dental check-ups – it’s not just about the health of our teeth and gums – a trip to the dentist could really be a life saver.”

To find out more information about mouth cancer and Mouth Cancer Action Month, please visit www.mouthcancer.org

It’s National Smile Month, a month-long campaign designed to create more public awareness about oral health. Smile Essential Dental Practice in Leicester along with thousands of other individuals and organisations

The campaign aims to promote 3 key messages:

• Brush your teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion with a fluoride toothpaste.

• Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks.

• Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.

National Smile Month isn’t just about education and stressing the importance of a healthy mouth. The key to the success of the campaign is that we have lots fun whilst doing it!

By taking part in National Smile Month Smile Essential, are helping to create a healthier, happier and smilier world. The campaign channels positivity and promotes the true value of a smile, not only for its benefits towards physical health but mental wellbeing too.

Our teeth have such an important role to play in our lives. They help us chew and digest food, they help us to talk and speak clearly and they also give our face its shape. A smile also has other day-to-day benefits. It can give us greater confidence, as well as influence our social lives, careers and relationships.

National Smile Month is our chance for us to take a fresh look at our current oral health and make any necessary changes required.

Over the recent years, more evidence has been gathered suggesting that poor oral health also puts you at an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, dementia and complications during pregnancy.

The best way to maintain great oral health is to:

• Brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste

• Clean in-between your teeth once daily with floss or interdental brushes

• Visit your dentist regularly

• Chew sugar-free gum after eating or drinking, especially sugary foods, to help protect your teeth and gums in between meals.

• Wait an hour after eating or drinking anything before brushing as then enamel will be softened and you could be brushing away tiny particles.

• Avoid snacking and try to only have sugary foods and drinks at mealtimes, reducing the time your teeth come under attack.

If you are concerned about your dental health then drop our friendly team an email here…

Colgate and the British Dental Association have partnered again this year to raise awareness of good oral health in children. Our dental practice Smile Essential is proud to be supporting this year’s campaign and we hope to make a difference to Leicester children visiting our dental clinic.

Children of Leicester have the highest decay rate across the UK and we hope that participating in the programme we can educate all of the children visiting our practice.

Children’s teeth should last them a lifetime and this is the programmes ultimate goal. Ensuring children’s smiles last a lifetime by teaching them to become Tooth Defenders. Working together with our Smile Essential dental team to help your child become a lifelong Tooth Defender!

We aim to support the programme through colourful displays in our patient lounge, friendly information sheets for children and parents, tooth brushing charts, balloons and some friendly guidance from our highly trained dental team.

7 Steps to ensure your child’s smile lasts a lifetime:

1) Brush teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, before bed and on one other occasion

2) Supervise your child during tooth brushing until they are at least 7 years old

3) Just spit after tooth brushing, rinsing washes the fluoride protection away

4) If your dentist recommends a fluoride mouthwash, use this at a different time from tooth brushing to increase protection throughout the day

5) Reduce the amount and frequency of sugary food and drinks

6) Ensure you visit your dental professional regularly

7) Wear a mouthguard when playing sports

Meet the Tooth Defenders

Top Tip

You can help educate your child about healthy snacks and taking care of their teeth by letting them play some of these fun educational games: childrenstoothfriendlygames.co.uk. Specially designed to help engage your children to keep their teeth for life.

Click here to find out more about how we care for your children’s teeth…

National Smile Month started back in 1977, aimed to address an increasingly critical problem of how to get people to look after their teeth in a time when only one in three people had their natural teeth! It began as a week-long campaign called Smile 77 project which focussed on the concept of preventative dentistry.

Over the years more and more health and dental organisations have supported the campaign and it transformed into a month-long campaign, now reaching thousands of people in the UK and overseas.

National Smile Month runs this year from May 15th until June 15th and is one of the UK’s largest oral health campaigns. Together, with other dentists, thousands of individuals, organisations and hopefully our patients too. We will be able to promote 3 key messages, all of which go a long way in helping us develop and maintain a healthy mouth:

Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks
Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend

It is particularly important for the people of Leicester to promote this message for the children in the county. According to an NHS report, over 50% of children in Leicester have dental decay compared to the national average of 27%. A shocking statistic, I’m sure you’ll agree.

This year we will be holding a week children’s week to help educate engage children and parents to better oral health. We will have an interactive zone where children can see just how much sugar is hidden in some of their favourite drinks.

Dr Niket Patel commented “we’re delighted to get involved in National Smile Month and try to promote good oral hygiene habits to children and parents. Good oral health should be important to everyone and we are always looking for ways to help improve the dental health of our patients.”