Oral Cancer Sufferer Encourages Regular Appointments After Life Saving Check-Up
A man from Birmingham is encouraging everyone to attend routine dental appointments after he was diagnosed with mouth cancer following a trip to the dentist.
48 year old David Brookes owes his life to his dentist after he made an appointment last year; he had been suffering from pain as a result of his teeth rubbing against his tongue and it was getting worse, so he decided to make an appointment.
After an examination, David was referred to Birmingham Dental Hospital and he was diagnosed with mouth cancer shortly after. David said he was completely shocked when he heard the news and had been expecting there to be something wrong with his teeth, such as jagged edge or uneven surface, which was causing the pain. He said that he never suspected that the pain could be related to cancer and was pleased that he decided to see his dentist when he did, rather than putting the appointment off.
Last August, David has surgery to remove a tumour from his tongue; his tongue was then built up using tissue from his wrist and blood vessels from his arm and skin was then grafted from his chest onto his wrist. In October, David underwent radiotherapy and is now recovering well.
David has now urged anyone who has similar symptoms and people who notice any changes in their mouth to see their dentist and get checked out. Common signs of mouth cancer include red or white patches in the mouth, lumps and swelling in the mouth or throat and sores that take a long time to heal.
David said that he never expected to get mouth cancer as he does not drink or smoke and has urged others to be vigilant and to make sure that they stick to their scheduled 6 monthly check-ups.
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