November is a busy month for us as we join forces with the Oral Health Foundation and the Mouth Cancer Foundation to raise awareness for Mouth Cancer Action Month (MCAM). Every year, over 10,825 new cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed in the UK, and in the past year alone, over 3,637 lives have been lost to this devastating disease. Early detection is crucial for improving survival rates, so it’s essential to share knowledge about the causes and risks, as well as how to self-check and seek help if you spot anything that isn’t normal for you.
At Smile Together, we’re proud to support this important campaign. This year our teams have gone above and beyond to encourage both patients and colleagues to regularly check their mouths for any changes and to ‘know your normal’!
Our practices have been creatively engaging their patients with fun, informative displays designed to spark conversations about oral health. The Bodmin team unveiled a brilliantly crafted new blue team member, complete with oversized dental instruments utilising resources in the surgery. The Penzance team added a playful touch with clever blue lips displayed on their practice windows. The Newquay team set up a vibrant blue corner, packed with essential oral health information. Meanwhile, the Truro team showcased a stunning display of blue lips made from tissue paper, accompanied by a mouth model constructed from recycled materials, demonstrating how to perform a self-check.
Our teams also participated in #BlueWednesday, showing their support by wearing blue, sporting blue lipstick, or using the blue lip selfie props. Even Truro’s mascot, Steven the Seagull, joined in with his own set of little blue lips!
We necessarily had multiple winners in our competition for the best and most informative display for MCAM this year! Our Bodmin team won the most ambitious display for creating a whole new team member; Truro for their Blue Wednesday participation; Newquay for being the most ingenious with their blue innovation and Penzance for the most creative display with their playful blue lips on the practice windows. We had certificates and goodies headed to our teams for getting involved and spreading the be mouth aware message.
We were also excited to launch free Mouth Cancer Screening sessions at our practice in Truro as part of this year’s campaign. These screenings included:
- Free mouth cancer screening for adults
- A quick, non-invasive exam focusing on the soft tissues of the head and mouth, taking less than two minutes
- Referrals provided on the day, if necessary
- Oral cancer information leaflets for all attendees
- An opportunity to explore our display board with additional information on oral cancer awareness
We hope it helps to make a difference and raise awareness in our community.
Take a look at our Patient Hub for a wealth of information about dental treatments and oral health care. You can also see this fabulous video we created with The Oral Health Foundation during our November 2023 #SmilesAtSeaUK harbourside tour with our Outreach Dental Therapist Nat to encourage regular checks for any unusual changes in the mouth and to ‘know your normal’.
We’re proud to be part of this vital campaign and look forward to continuing our support.
