One of the most serious conditions that can affect the oral cavity is oral cancer. This is a disease that can be fatal if not caught and treated early enough, that affects thousands of people in the UK each year. One of the best ways to beat oral cancer is to make sure you keep up regular check up appointments at your dentist. Dentists are trained to examine for oral cancer as part of a routine check up and could be instrumental in an early diagnosis that could save your life.

Oral cancer usually manifests itself as small red or white patches on the lining of the mouth, gums, lips or throat. These small patches are rough and sore and do not disappear after a week or so unlike a mouth ulcer. They are very sensitive to hot and cold temperatures so could make eating and drinking quite difficult. The other symptoms of oral cancer include unexplained bleeding in the mouth, a significant weight loss without any change to diet or exercise and pain in the head, neck and shoulders.

If you are demonstrating any of these symptoms it is crucial that you make an appointment with a London dentist as soon as possible. They will be able to perform an examination and brush biopsy on any suspicious areas. They will also be able to refer you to a specialist for immediate treatment should the results be concerning.

There are a number of high risk factors for oral cancer such as your age and sex. Being male and over forty increases your chances of contracting the disease, as do lifestyle choices such as smoking and an unhealthy diet. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol also increases the risks of cancer. However, even people with none of the risk factors are still capable of getting oral cancer so you can never afford to be complacent.

Cancer is usually something we don’t associate with the mouth, but Oral Cancer, as it’s known, is on the rise and it is so easy to avoid says a London dentist. Smoking is an obvious cause as is chewing tobacco, which is still popular in many countries. The lips can get cancer as well and one the causes here is exposure to the sun, we tend to think of skin cancer being caused by too much sun, but Oral Cancer is also a victim. Oral Cancer can affect the lips, gums, tongue and throat, the signs to look out for are reddish lumps that bleed and don`t heal up. There is a difference between an ulcer and a tumour in the mouth, so if you get a lump that doesn`t look right see your doctor straight away. Oral Cancers can be cured, that`s the good news, the bad news is that many of us fail to get treatment at an early stage. Leaving a suspect lump won`t make it go away, it isn`t like a drunk that is annoying you at a party, if you ignore it I guarantee it won`t move on. Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy has moved on a long way, and you may get one or both treatments for your Oral Cancer, sometimes a chemo tablet will suffice. Good oral hygiene will also help to keep cancer at bay in your mouth, flossing will keep acid and bacterium under control, these cause the gums to become infected and bacterium can leak into the blood system. There has recently been reports that there is a link between heart disease, diabetes and cancer that comes from infections originating in the oral area. Just being a little bit more vigilant and reporting those infections and lumps to our dentist or doctor, will go a long way to keeping Oral Cancer at bay.

The health of your teeth is very important. Healthy teeth allow you to eat, drink and talk without experiencing any problems or pain. Healthy teeth also look better when you smile allowing you to be more confident and self-assured.

Keeping your teeth healthy involves two major factors. Firstly, it is important to look after your teeth at home with effective brushing and flossing and secondly, you should be having a dental check up appointment every six months. Good oral hygiene involves brushing your teeth twice a day for three minutes and flossing to clean areas that cannot be reached with a normal toothbrush. However, even the most effective dental hygiene may not be able to prevent all forms of tooth decay and gum disease. The fact that 90% of adults in the UK will suffer from gum disease at some point in their life would seem to suggest that we need to do more to protect our teeth.

This is why it is so important to make sure you see a City of London dentist every six months for a check up. Dentists will thoroughly examine your teeth and gums for any signs disease. They will also be able to treat the problems in their early stages which is always more effective and less invasive. Dentists are also able to examine your mouth for the symptoms of oral cancer. Early treatment of oral cancer gives you a much greater chance of beating this particularly nasty disease.

It is recommended that you make a check up appointment every six months. This will allow you and your dentist to stay on top of any dental problems you may have and will help to address any areas of hygiene that need improving. Even if you have not been for a check up for several years and are slightly embarrassed about the state of your teeth, it is never too late to make the effort your teeth need to be as healthy as possible.

Oral cancer is a common and virulent form of the disease that occurs in any part of the mouth including the lips, tongue, lining and throat. If diagnosed in the early stages it is highly treatable but the longer it is left to develop without treatment the greater the risk of it being fatal becomes.

There are several risk factors for oral cancer. Firstly, being male makes you more likely to contract the condition, as does being over 50 years of age. Smoking, or using any kind of tobacco product also makes you much more likely to suffer from the disease. In studies of oral cancer patients, it was found that about 75% per cent were smokers or had been smokers at some stage. Drinking alcohol is also a risk factor, especially in combination with smoking or using tobacco. There are several other risk factors include diet and genetic history. Although it is important to remember that even if you fit none of the above risk profiles there is still a chance of developing oral cancer.

The symptoms appear as small red, white or blotchy patches on the lining of the mouth that don’t clear up naturally after a couple of weeks. These can be quite painful and sensitive to food and drink of certain temperatures. Other symptoms include unexplained bleeding in the mouth and sudden weight loss.

Most cases of oral cancer are diagnosed by dentists at check up appointments. Central London dentists are trained to spot the first signs of oral cancer. Early diagnosis results in a greater than 80% chance of surviving the cancer and making a full recovery. This is just one of the many reasons why regular visits to your dentist are very important.

Keeping your teeth clean and free from plaque by brushing and flossing can help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease and can keep your mouth looking clean and healthy, but cleaning alone is not enough to prevent all dental problems. As well as a strict and effective dental hygiene routine it is also essential that you keep up six-monthly appointments at the dentist.

The dentist will be able to spot any signs of decay or disease that may be happening even if you clean effectively. It is often the most hard to reach places that are the main areas of decay and dentists can monitor and clean these difficult spots to keep teeth as healthy as possible. Dentists are also able to spot the first signs of more serious problems such as oral cancer or infection.

As well as seeing a dentist, it may be a good idea to see a dental hygienist. They are becoming more and more common in the UK as they allow the dentist more time to focus on their caseload and allow patients a more direct and focused cleaning appointment. Hygienists can offer thorough dental cleaning as well as liaising with the dentist to develop a more effective cleaning plan.

Most City of London dentists will now offer a dental hygienist as part of a regular six monthly check up service. It is not advised that you go longer than six-months between appointments unless your dentist has advised it for some reason. Some patients may need to see the dentist more regularly.

Oral cancer can be a particularly unpleasant and painful disease that can often be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in time. In most instances, cases of oral cancer are first spotted and diagnosed by dentists who are specially trained to recognise the first signs of the disease. By keeping up regular appointments at the dentist you are far more likely to catch oral cancer in its early stages and stand a greater than 80 per cent chance of successful treatment.

Common causes of oral cancer are smoking, especially heavy smokers of more than 20 a day. Heavy alcohol consumption is also a high risk factor and the effects of both are magnified when combined. Smokers are 24 times more likely to suffer from oral cancer than non-smokers.

Age is also an important factor with patients over 50 being more likely to contract the condition. And men are almost three times as likely to suffer than women. However, it is worth remembering that in 25 per cent of cases of oral cancer the patient had none of the high-risk qualities. Oral cancer can strike at any time, which again emphasises the need for regular dental check ups.

The symptoms are usually white or red sore spots on the lining of the mouth or lips, which do not disappear naturally after two or three weeks. The spots can be very sore, not unlike mouth ulcers, making eating, drinking and even talking very difficult. Other signs include an unexplained change in voice or weight loss.

The only sure fire way of beating oral cancer is to visit a City of London dentist every six-months for a check up. If you have any suspicious sores in the mouth or other symptoms make an appointment to see a dentist as soon as possible.

There are a number of very important reasons why you should keep up regular dental check ups with a London dentist. Reasons that could have a very beneficial effect on your overall health.

According to the Oral Cancer foundation, someone dies every hour from oral cancer, a statistic that could be prevented by earlier detection of the disease, leading to more effective treatment. Dentists are fully trained to spot the early signs of oral cancer including unexplained bleeding and painful sores. It could just make the difference between life and death.

Perhaps less seriously but no less important, dentists are also able to examine patients for the first signs of gum disease, which can cause painful irritation and has several links to heart disease. Gum disease can occur even in healthy mouths and early treatment can prevent a range of more serious dental problems that could occur as a result. Similar to gum disease is dental decay, which can also be present in patients with excellent hygiene regimes. Prompt treatment of decay prevents the formation of dental cavities that cause painful infections and abscesses, which in turn lead to tooth loss.

Having a healthy mouth and teeth can be a sign of a healthy body as many bodily infections can begin in the oral cavity, and likewise any problems in the body can usually be detected by some change or unusual activity in the mouth. Bad breath could be the sign of inadequate cleaning but it could also indicate a more serious digestion problem that may need treatment.

Regular check ups are obviously important for maintaining good oral health. Dentists can treat any sign so of decay early and thoroughly clean the teeth to prevent any more, but a dentist can also be the first clinician to spot many other health concerns. Make an appointment to see a London dentist as soon as possible for the sake of your teeth and your whole body.

Oral cancer can be fatal if not caught at a sufficiently early stage. If detected early enough, oral cancer patients stand a greater than 80 per cent chance of survival. Therefore it is very important that you have any suspicious sores examined as soon as possible. Another key defence against oral cancer is to keep up regular six-month dental appointments. Dentists are trained to spot the signs of oral cancer and are also able to perform swab biopsies on any suspicious areas as part of a check up.

Oral cancer is considered to be any cancer that affects any part of the mouth including the lips, tongue and throat. It usually appears as sores on the lining of the mouth or throat, not unlike mouth ulcers, but that do not disappear naturally after a period of two weeks.

Certain groups are at a higher risk than others with men being twice as likely to suffer from the condition as women. Patients who smoke excessively are a massive 600 times more likely to develop oral cancer as non-smokers. Patients who drink heavily are also at a greater risk of the condition. However, it is important to remember that oral cancer can affect anybody at any time regardless of lifestyle, so you can never be complacent.

The sores are usually a deep red or white colour and are sensitive to touch and especially hot and cold food. They are usually very painful and make it difficult to eat, drink or even speak. Oral cancer may also manifest itself in the unexplained bleeding of the gums or weight loss.

There are more symptoms than described here so it is always wise to visit a dentist if you are unsure about any activity in your mouth. Any unexplained soreness or patches in the mouth can easily be examined by a dentist and with cancer it is always better to be safe than sorry. Make an appointment every six-months with a Central London dentist and protect yourself from oral cancer.

Oral cancer usually manifests itself as sores on the inside of your mouth, which resemble mouth ulcers but don’t disappear after a couple of weeks. Oral cancers, which include all cancers in the oral cavity, including lips, tongue and throat can be life-threatening if not caught early so keeping up regular appointments with your dentist, or having any suspicious sores examined as soon as possible is highly recommended.

Certain factors mean that people are at a greater risk of contracting oral cancer. Men are twice as likely to suffer as women, especially men over the age of 50. People who drink or smoke excessively are at particular risk, with smokers being a massive 660 times more likely to suffer from oral cancer than non-smokers. However, it is important not to be complacent about oral cancer as it can effect people who neither smoke nor drink at all.

The sores associated with oral cancer usually appear as white or red patches in the lining of the mouth. It is also common for there to be unexplained bleeding of the lining of the mouth and even the gums. The sores will make it very difficult to carry out everyday activities like eating, drinking or talking without suffering pain. There are other signs that you may be suffering with oral cancer like a sudden or unexplained weight loss.

There are of course more symptoms, many of which can be very subtle so it is always wise to consult a dentist if you have any suspicious sores. A Central London dentist will be able to carry out a brush biopsy, a painless swab for testing, as part of a regular check up. They are also well trained in the signs and symptoms of oral cancer so they can be your first line of defence. Early detection of oral cancer can give you a greater than 80 per cent chance of survival.

It is an often-used adage that prevention is better than cure. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to looking after your teeth. As anyone who has suffered from any kind of dental problem, ranging from toothache to gum disease, will tell you, it really does pay to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

The easiest way to do this is to have regular six-monthly dental check ups, as advised by dentists. No matter how busy you are, or how frightened you may be, a regular check up with your dentist could save you years of dental related pain, not to mention thousands of pounds.

All sorts of problems can arise with your teeth if you do not visit your dentist on a regular basis. Even patients who brush correctly twice a day, and floss regularly, can develop dental problems they may not be aware of until it is too late. A tooth infection can very quickly develop into an abscess or spread to other teeth in the mouth if not picked up early enough by a dentist. In some circumstances, an infection may be so deep rooted that it will lead to the tooth itself dying and falling out. In extreme cases, a dental infection can cause a wider infection in the body and lead to heart disease and even heart failure. It really is not worth running the risk for the sake of half an hour every six months.

A regular appointment will help to catch these problems early, or even before they arise. For patients who have suffered toothache but believe it to have gone away, it may only be that the infection has killed the nerve endings in the tooth, thus stopping the pain. Only a dentist will be able to diagnose and locate these sorts of problems.

Dentists will also be able to spot the onset of various forms of oral cancer, including cancer of the tongue and throat. An early diagnosis of oral cancer means an 80 per cent or greater chance of survival. Missing the symptoms altogether leads to the unthinkable. City of London dentists will be able to thoroughly examine patients for tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancer as part of a regular check up appointment. Prevent dental problems and save yourself the pain, cost and possible heartache of having to treat them.