AN ISLE of Wight dentist has urged people to be vigilant against mouth cancer, which claims five lives in the UK every day.
Philip Lewis, who has just given a course of lectures in London on the early detection of mouth cancer, attended by hundreds of dentists and dental staff, was speaking ahead of Mouth Cancer Action Month.
He said: "Dental professionals are essential in the fight against this killer as they see patients regularly and, unlike doctors, always look inside patients’ mouths. This is a disease which, with proper training, is usually easy to spot in its early stages and it’s great to see so many colleagues now learning how to do this.
"Patients should be aware of the risks, which include smoking and drinking spirits, but should also be aware 25 per cent of victims have no recognisable lifestyle factors.
"For this reason everyone should be vigilant. Patients should ask their dentist if he or she is carrying out a thorough early detection screening at least one a year because early detection saves lives. It’s as simple as that."
November's Mouth Cancer Action Month is supported by the British Dental Health Foundation.