“First line of attack”
Dental hygienists and those dually qualified in dental hygiene therapy (DHT’s) are playing a key role in early mouth cancer diagnoses as they are able to check for the warning signs in places which are hard for patients to normally see.
As such the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) is urging everyone to ensure they have regular visits to their dental team to ensure they are protected from mouth cancer.
Mouth cancer cases have increased by a third in the last decade alone and cases now stand at more than 7,000 per year in the UK.
Michaela ONeill, president of the BSDHT, said of the important role dental hygienists and DHT’s can play: “Mouth cancer is an increasingly common problem in Britain and much of this can be attributed to the rise of human papilloma (HPV) related mouth cancer.”
“HPV is the world’s fastest increasing STI and one of the leading causes of mouth cancer.
“Many mouth cancers caused by HPV originate in the back of the mouth, in areas which patients may find it difficult to see in the mirror. This is where dental hygienists and DHT’s are able to detect cases which may be missed otherwise.
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