Dental practices in the UK should be performing thorough mouth cancer checks on their patients.
This quick, detailed examination that takes just 120 seconds, yet very few patients are aware they should receive this at least once a year and it is suspected that some dental practices are still not doing it.
The charity’s Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme is successfully raising awareness amongst both patients and dental practices.
Delegates at Showcase can learn more about the scheme and hear Mouth Cancer Foundation consultant Nicki Rowland (pictured) speak about the importance of routine head and neck cancer examinations in the fight for early detection.
The Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme calls for every dental practice in the UK to be carrying out a thorough head and neck cancer screen as part of regular check-ups. The scheme is a ‘two minutes to save a life’ screening protocol, which is a 10-point checklist that every dentist should be able to include in their routine examinations in order to increase early detection rates and save lives.
Full membership includes access to a dedicated section of the charity website and FREE 1 hour CPD element as well as a wealth of professional development and training modules suitable for all members of the practice team to ensure regular screening benefits practice patients.
The founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Dr Vinod Joshi said: ‘Carrying out a thorough head and neck cancer examination at routine appointments will save lives. The Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme helps dentists and everyone working in a dental practice to know what they are looking for and how to check and refer patients. This will allow head and neck cancers to be caught earlier. Head and neck cancers are particularly vicious and debilitating when detected late. Patients who survive are a huge drain on medical resources for the rest of their lives, in terms of post operative and the psychological care required. With earlier detection, lives are saved and costs on the NHS will reduce dramatically.’
The scheme is open to any dental practice whose clinicians are registered with the GDC For more information please contact the Mouth Cancer Foundation via [email protected] or call 01924 950 950 for more information.
Visit the charity on:
• Panadent stand N11
• DPAS stand K01
• Henry Schein stands L07 and M08
• Dental Focus stand C11a
