Dentists Take To The Streets Of Edinburgh To Launch New Mouth Cancer Campaign

Sample News Big

Dentists in Scotland are taking to the streets of Edinburgh to raise awareness of mouth cancer.

Dentists will be talking to people in the streets, as well as using social media, to launch the ‘Let’s Talk About Mouth Cancer’ campaign. The aim of the campaign is to raise the profile of mouth cancer and inform members of the public about the causes, risk factors and symptoms of oral cancer.

According to the latest research and statistics, mouth cancer is becoming increasingly common in the UK, especially among young people. Figures from the Ben Walton Trust, which was established in memory of a student who died of the disease, more than 7,690 new cases were diagnosed in 2011. Dentists from the Dental Institute at Edinburgh University also stated that the disease affects more people than cervical and testicular cancer combined.

Michael Walton, father of Ben, who lost his life to mouth cancer, said that the trust is proud to be involved with the campaign and everyone is looking forward to getting out there and hopefully making a difference. Although the number of cases of mouth cancer is increasing year on year, many people are still unaware of the signs and symptoms and this means that most cases are spotted at an advanced stage.

The campaign is being run by NHS Lothian and Edinburgh University in conjunction with the Ben Walton Trust and it will run from Tuesday 11th until Thursday 13th February.

Dentists will be around to talk to the public about mouth cancer and free screening checks will also be available for patients in Bristo Square.

Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Professor Victor Lopes, said that the key message to promote is early detection saves lives.

Join this Discussion

Comments are closed.