Scottish dentists raise concerns over the impact of less frequent check-ups on oral cancer diagnosis
Dentists in Scotland have raised concerns over the impact of less frequent dental check-ups on oral cancer diagnosis.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government released new guidelines as part of an Oral Health Improvement Plan, which is designed to raise standards of oral health. Among the measures was a proposal to increase the period of time between check-ups for those considered to be low-risk. The new plan recommends check-ups every 6-24 months.
Although dentists have welcomed some of the measures set out by the government, they are concerned that encouraging patients to go the dentist less frequently could put more people at risk of oral cancer. Mouth cancer is an increasingly common disease, and the vast majority of cases are diagnosed at a late stage because symptoms are not spotted soon enough. Dentists are worried that seeing a dentist even less frequently will make it even more difficult to diagnose cases at an early stage. Studies suggest that survival rates can increase from less than 50% to 90% if oral cancer is diagnosed early.
A recent survey carried out by the British Dental Association in Scotland revealed that 97% of the 206 dentists working across health boards in Scotland felt that the reforms would put the potential to detect early signs of oral cancer at risk.
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