November is always a busy and important month for us at Smile Together, as we once again joined forces with the Oral Health Foundation and the Mouth Cancer Foundation to support Mouth Cancer Action Month (MCAM).
Every year, more than 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with mouth cancer, and thousands of lives are lost. Early detection plays a vital role in improving survival rates, which is why raising awareness of risk factors, encouraging regular self-checks, and helping people to know what’s normal for them remains so important.
This year, our focus was on making a direct difference within our local communities by offering free mouth cancer screening sessions – one at our Penzance practice and one at our Truro practice. Across these sessions, we saw a total of 39 patients and made 9 urgent referrals, 1 GP referral and 7 non-urgent reviews.
Nat, our Outreach Dental Therapist who delivered the screenings, said: “We received lots of feedback from patients about how important these free pop-up clinics are. I also saw three mouth cancer survivors, who were incredibly grateful for the additional peace of mind, and shared how much they hope these sessions will continue in the future.”
One patient who attended a screening added: “Lovely ladies and well worth taking the opportunity to visit”
Each screening was quick, non-invasive, and focused on examining the soft tissues of the mouth and head. Patients also received oral cancer information and guidance on what to look out for in the future. These sessions demonstrate the real impact early detection can have and highlight the importance of accessible screening opportunities.
Alongside the screening sessions, our practices created informative oral cancer awareness displays to encourage conversations with patients and highlight the importance of regular mouth checks. These displays helped reinforce key messages and supported patients in understanding what changes to look out for.
Our teams also got involved in fundraising, with a fantastic “Guess How Many Teeth Are in the Jar” competition, giving patients the chance to win an electric toothbrush. This creative idea, suggested by one of our dental nurses in Penzance, proved a great way to engage patients while raising money and awareness at the same time.
We’re proud of the commitment shown by our teams and the positive impact this year’s campaign has had within our communities. By combining awareness-raising, fundraising, and direct access to screening, we’ve helped ensure more people feel informed, supported, and confident to seek help if something doesn’t feel right.
