Two minutes to spare

Why did the Mouth Cancer Accreditation Scheme begin?

The scheme was the brainchild of the Mouth Cancer Foundation’s founder Vinod Joshi. He realised that in the light of the alarming increase in rates of mouth cancer among all sectors of the population there was a pressing need for dental professionals to become better educated in the skills of early detection and introduce robust screening protocols in their practices. Work to introduce the scheme began about 18 months ago.

How did you become involved with the scheme?

I had already been lecturing on mouth cancer and its early detection for nearly 10 years. At last year’s BDTA Showcase event I met representatives of the Mouth Cancer Foundation who asked if I would help develop the scheme.

What are the advantages for dentists who do mouth cancer screenings in their appointments?

The list is almost endless but in my view the most important benefit for clinicians is the knowledge that they are providing a potentially life-saving service for their patients. Other advantages include professional satisfaction in knowing a thorough examination is being offered, the ability to help increase survival rates from 50 per cent when lesions are discovered late to better than 90 per cent with early detection, and following on from that the ability to refer patients at a stage when treatments are likely to be far less invasive and unpleasant. There are other advantages too; patients get to know their practice is taking the very best care of them and as a result tell family and friends which tends to lead to an increase in practice profile and growth within the community.