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BDHF issues mouth cancer warning
3rd Nov 2006
The British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has warned that the confusion surrounding NHS dentistry could lead to an increase in mouth cancer deaths as people are put off visiting the dentist. The BDHF was speaking after the launch of the new Guide to Making Dental Care Affordable leaflet, which is available free to members of the public. The leaflet was produced by health plan provider HSA in conjunction with the Foundation in the run-up to Mouth Cancer Awareness Week (November 12-18) after the news that more than 1,600 dentists have quit the NHS since the new contract was introduced in April. The Foundation is concerned that people who lose their NHS dentist may choose not to visit a dentist at all if they don’t understand the options open to them. Dr Nigel Carter, BDHF chief executive, said: ‘Mouth cancer kills one person every five hours in the UK, and the number of new cases is increasing all the time. Dentists are trained to spot early signs of mouth cancer and early detection increases survival chances from around one in two to nine out of 10 – so it is vital that people maintain regular visits. ‘Of course it would be fantastic if everyone in this country was able to access an NHS dentist, but unfortunately that simply isn’t the case. There is a concern that because of the controversy that surrounds this issue, many patients could assume that private dentistry must be an unreasonable and unaffordable option. However, the reality is actually very different. ‘There are all sorts of ways of spreading the cost of dental care to make it affordable for everyone. People often just don’t know about them. This leaflet provides a simple guide to the options available, giving patients all the pros and cons of things like health cash plans, dental plans, capitation plans and pay as you go options and helping them to make an informed decision. ‘It is very important that people do what they can to maintain regular dental checks. After all, in some cases it is not only your oral health that could be at risk – it could be your life.’ The free guide, which is not biased towards any one provider, also contains information on the NHS banding system and a brief background to the UK dental market. Suzanne Clarkson from HSA said: ‘Like the Foundation we are concerned that with fewer NHS dentists available, individuals will be even more deterred from accessing vital dental care. We hope that our guide, put together in association with the Foundation, will help individuals to understand the various ways of making dental care more affordable.’ To download the guide visit www.dentalhealth.org and go to downloads or email pr@hsa.co.uk.
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