This November, Smile Together supported the Oral Health Foundation and Mouth Cancer Foundation charities in raising awareness during Mouth Cancer Action Month (MCAM), which encourages us all to be #MouthAware.
Our teams were keen to use every opportunity to raise awareness of oral cancers, as well as fundraising for both charities. Colleagues put up posters and created informative displays in clinic explaining the risk factors, how to spot signs and symptoms and what to do if you think something’s not quite right.
Our teams had fun taking #BlueLipSelfies and shared their photos via social media. Some of our locations engaged in #BakeSomethingBlue, part of #BlueWednesday, and brought in brightly-coloured treats to sell with all proceeds going to charity. They also sold pin badges and wristbands, and even held a secondhand book sale to fundraise and raise awareness. In total we raised almost £80!
We shared lots of information and photos through our social media channels, encouraging everyone to do a quick and easy self-check for mouth cancer at home – the instructional video for this can be found on our Patient Hub alongside a wealth of information about dental treatments and oral health care. Early diagnosis vastly improves oral cancer survival rates, which is why it’s so important to have regular dental check-ups, self-check, and seek help if you spot anything that isn’t normal for you – If In Doubt, Get Checked Out.
