Cardiff Dentists Failing To Educate Patients On Dangers Of Mouth Cancer

Mon, 16 Jun 2008

The majority of people in Cardiff fear they are being put at risk of mouth cancer due to dentists’ neglecting to check them for the condition, new research has revealed.

A survey by the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) and Medicash found that 79 per cent of Cardiff’s dental patients have never been checked for the condition, while 87 per cent said their dentist has never even spoken to them about it.

According to the Foundation, mouth cancer is the most deadly oral condition, killing one person every five hours in the UK, while the number of new cases is also increasing each year.

BDHF chief executive Dr Nigel Carter said the findings come as "a big surprise and will be a major concern for both the public and the profession".

"Mouth cancer is a very serious condition," Dr Carter added. "It kills more than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined and yet a staggering one in four people in Cardiff have never even heard of it."

Dr Carter claimed that the problem is due to a shortage in dentists that are carrying out the checks during routine appointments, while those that do are failing to communicate this with their patients and are "therefore missing a perfect opportunity to educate them on the dangers of mouth cancer".

The National Mouth Cancer Survey, conducted for National Smile Month, polled 500 adults across 10 UK cities in April 2008.
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