British Dental Health Foundation Issues Warning Over Internet Self-Diagnosis

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The British Dental Health Foundation has issued a warning over self-diagnosis using internet symptom checkers.

Chief executive of the foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, believes that as a nation we are too reliant on the internet and this could potentially be coasting lives, as people are more likely to read up about their symptoms online rather than seeking the advice of a dentist or doctor.

A survey carried out by the BDHF revealed that over 30 percent of people admit to searching for information about their symptoms online prior to seeing a health professional. Dr Carter is worried that this approach could cost lives in the case of serious diseases such as mouth cancer.

Dr Carter took it upon himself to try out some online symptom checkers and was alarmed to find that one website gave details only about thrush when he typed in the symptoms, ‘white patches in the mouth’. This is symptomatic of oral cancer, a potentially deadly disease, yet there was no mention of it on the site.

As Mouth Cancer Action Month draws to a close, Dr Carter is urging the public to adopt traditional techniques if they have symptoms they are worried about. If you notice changes in your mouth or you feel ill, it is much more sensible to seek the opinion of your dentist or doctor rather than “Dr Google.” In many cases, delaying diagnosis can be very costly. With mouth cancer, an early diagnosis made by a dentist or doctor could improve the chances of survival by 50-90 percent.

 

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