During Mouth Cancer Awareness Month, we pledged to donate £2.50 per dental examination and check up carried out at the Dental Spa to the Mouth Cancer foundation. We raised an amazing £210. This money will go a long way to help support people who have been diagnosed with mouth cancer.

 

 

When my patients come in for a check-up, one of the first things I will ask them to do when I start examining their teeth is to ask them to say ‘Aaagghh’. My request is always met with a quizzical expression: ‘ok, if you are asking me to!’

Last week, I had a top charting musician on my chair (from X Factor but that’s all I’m going to reveal for now – keep checking my blog to find out who!). I asked her to say ‘Aaagghh’, and she sung the most impressive high note I have ever heard on my dental chair. Umm, yes, so now I had to explain that it wasn’t my intention to check her singing voice.

It was then that it dawned upon me that I perform this routine test on all of my patients at every check up, every time they come to see me but they actually don’t know why I am doing it. So I have started informing everyone now. It is all part of a basic mouth cancer screening that I will be performing.

So what does a mouth cancer screening involve? I check the soft tissues – the lips – inside and outside, the insides of the cheeks. The tongue – along the sides, both left and right, under the tongue, and on top of the tongue. Then I assess all the way to the back of the tongue onto the throat. It is at that point I ask you to say ‘Aaagghh’, as it provides me with a great view of your tonsils and your throat. So you see, there is a whole lot more meaning to me asking you to perform this than sheer enjoyment of my patients’ lovely singing voices!

So what do I look out for when I perform a mouth cancer screening? The answer is I look for little things, or changes that shouldn’t be there and those small changes that were not evident at your last check up: an ulcer, a white patch, a red spot, a raised area, a lumpy area. It could be the size of a pin prick or the size of a 50p coin. It could be asymptomatic (showing no symptoms), or it could be causing you some discomfort.

Mouth cancer can come in any shape or size and is never site specific. According to The British Dental Health Foundation, of every 100 patients diagnosed with cancer, two of them will be mouth cancers.

It can affect any person at any age, but is more common in males aged over 40 years. More up to date research shows that mouth cancer is now affecting more younger people and females, due to habits such as smoking, which in the past were only associated with males. There are 6,000 new cases of mouth cancer diagnosed in Britain every year and this number is on the increase. Some 1,800 people die from mouth cancer every year and early detection will reduce the mortality rate from oral cancers.

There are so many lifestyle factors that can predispose us to mouth cancer:

Smoking – cigarettes, pipes, cigars – these contain carcinogens (cancer inducing agents) such as tar, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde. The carcinogens cause abnormal cell growth which could develop into cancer.

Chewing Tobacco or Betel Quid – the betel quid is usually tobacco wrapped in a betel leaf. As it is in contact with the soft tissues in the mouth over long periods of time, they are more likely to cause cancer.

Alcohol – the more you drink, the higher the risk. A combination of smoking and drinking can increase the risk further still. Alcohol is the second biggest cause of mouth cancer after smoking. Alcohol contains acetaldehyde which damages our DNA and prevents it from healing itself. Alcohol also makes it easy for the mouth tissues to absorb carcinogens.

Diet – those with a poor diet are normally low in zinc or vitamin A, which can predispose people to mouth cancers. Eating food with anti-oxidants such as fruits and vegetables will reduce the risk of mouth cancer.

Low Immunity - research has shown that those with low immunity, such as people with HIV or AIDS, or those who are taking immunity suppressants for the purposes of organ transplants are more likely to develop mouth cancers.

Sunlight & Sunbeds – UV light given off by the sun and sun beds can cause cancer in the face and neck regions. Studies have shown that people who routinely use sunbeds have a higher risk of developing cancer.  

So what can you do to make sure to reduce the risk of mouth cancer?

1. Visit the dentist regularly for routine check-ups, which should include basic mouth cancer screening
2. Stop smoking
3. Limit the frequency of alcohol intake and the use of products which contain alcohol e.g adopt to using alcohol-free mouthwashes
4. Reduce exposure to UV lights by avoiding sunbeds and being in direct sunshine for long periods of time
5. Make sure you eat a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables and foods containing anti-oxidants

Here are some top tips for mouth cancer self screening (even though the regular check up is still thoroughly recommended):

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you have difficulty swallowing?
2. Do you have chronic sore throat or a hoarse voice which does not heal

Look out for some of the following:

1. Red spots on the mouth or tongue which do not seem to heal
2. White patches on the mouth or tongue
3. A lump or overgrowth, whether it is sore or not

If you notice anything abnormal, visit your dentist at once for an examination. A lot of the times, it is nothing much to worry about, but it is better to err on the side of caution, as early diagnosis is best for success of any treatment that may be required.

We at the Covent Garden Dental Spa realise how important this is. We want to highlight the importance of Mouth Cancer Action Month (http://www.mouthcancer.org/page/about-mouth-cancer ) during November 2012. We want to encourage more people to visit us for regular check up appointments, so they can have the basic mouth cancer screening. Mouth Cancer Action Month is all about educating our patients on what predisposes them to mouth cancer and what the early signs of mouth cancer may be. To facilitate this, we will be offering reduced rate new patient consultations at only £25 (our normal fee is £69) for the whole of November 2012. For every check up and new patient consultation we provide, we will donate £2.50 to the Mouth Cancer Foundation http://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org/

We will also be holding a competition during the month of November.

 ‘Which of the following is most likely to increase the risk of mouth cancer?’

1. Eating sugary foods
2. Not flossing
3. Smoking

The winner will be announced on 15 December 2012.

The prize will be a Free Check Up, (including a mouth cancer screening) and a Free Deluxe Diamond Sparkle Hygiene Clean

If the prize is won by one of our regular patients, or the winner is one of our patients who has recently had a check up, we will allow them the chance to transfer the prize as a gift to a friend, family or colleague.

Click on this link to enter our November Competition

Click here to book your special offer New Patient Consultation

 

My experience at the Covent Garden Dental Spa

Day 1

There it was; the door of my work experience placement. With the press of a button I would be transported to another world. A world where people wore suits, ties and high heeled shoes. A world where people drank coffee. And liked it! Oblivious to its bitter taste. Where people talked about politics, public transport and parliament for a sense of entertainment.

A world I didn’t belong, but was going to invade. BUZZZ- guessing this was the sound of my acceptance into this planet I pushed the door open.  Walking down the corridor panic pumped through my veins and the urge to run away was unbearable. Eyes glued to my shoes, I walked to another door, once again there was a BUZZZ so I pulled it open again.

As I lifted my eyes an “OMG” slipped through my lips. The room was exquisite; a diamond chandelier, soft cushiony chairs begging me to take a seat, candles gently glowing and music lightly playing in the air. 

‘I’m supposed to be going to a dentists; I must had gotten the wrong door!’ The idea caused disappointment to rocket through me. Suddenly realising that someone was at the front desk I stood awkwardly waiting till she was off the phone so she could hopefully direct me to the my work placement. Putting the phone down she invited me with a warm smile introducing herself as Aman.

 

 

‘Surely not’ I thought ‘I planned my work with a Treatment Co-ordinator called Aman. Could it be?’  Before I knew it I blurted out “Hi I’m Simi”

“On work experience?” Aman finished “have a seat and I’ll be with you in a minute.” Easing into a seat, relief poured over me like a bucket of cool water after a heat wave.  A smile crawled on my lips. I had a feeling I was going to really like my placement.

Day 2

Walking through the doors an aura of relaxation surrounds me as I wait for today’s instructions. Aman tells me I will be shadowing Lana the Hygienist who does hygiene cleans. I can feel the anticipation stir deep inside me as Lana welcomes me and introduces me to the patients. Questions bubble in my head threatening to pour out of my lips but fear of being too forward holds me at bay. Luckily for me Lana seemed to understand my silence and answered all my un-heard questions, causing my fascination in dentistry to further grow.

 

Day3

Today I saw Flora, the Principle Dentist, do another filling for a patient but I noticed that before every patient she asks if they were taking medication, if they had allergies, if they smoked and when they had last seen a dentist. This was because she had to know the patients history to make sure she knew the certain things she could or could not give them; such as, if they had heart problems then she couldn’t give them certain anaesthetics.

Watching Flora interact with each patient was alluring; Flora wasn’t solely interested in their teeth but the whole person and body;  their jobs, homes, relationships. Not only did she ask questions but she ACTUALLY listened to the answers,  building a personal relationship with the patient. Patients weren’t clutching there hands staring at the floor in fear of the inevitable. They were laughing at jokes, some appealed by the bubble gum flavoured pre-anaesthetic topical gel and really nervous patients got to play with squishy red ball. What I particularly found fascinating was that Flora took her time to explain the procedures to each patient even taking picture of the different stages of the procedure so they patient can see the gradual outcome. Flora’s voice was as if a lullaby calming the patient at all time, mixed with the smoothing music in the background there was no room for fear, anxiety or stress.

Day 4

After being informed that I will be with Encarni, one of the dentist specialised in teeth whitening, I was warmly received by a smile. Explaining that I would be observing her as a part of my work experience we were shortly joined by a patient. Excitement, I’m sure, was painted on my face as Encarni placed the whitening gel over the teeth. During the one of the three eight minutes sessions to allow the light to activate the gel, the lights are turned off and everything goes still, the gentle music in the air causes a flow of relaxation to cushion against me. My head seemed to gravitate to the wall as if a pillow and my eye lids seemed to become very heavy..... The sound of laughter caused me to jump up, looking around Encarni and the patient were in fits of laughter.  Apparently I fell asleep and started to snore... VERY loudly. How embarrassing!

 

Day 5

After another amazing day at the Dental Spa I learnt about a lot about orthodontics with the orthodontist Erika. This was particularly astonishing; patients would come in smiling with straight teeth and different types of braces such as Invisalign and Lingual Braces and Incognito (Invisible braces), then Tamara the Head Nurse would show me a model of their teeth a few months a ago and gasps of ‘WOW’s and ‘ohh my gosh’s' would escape me. The results were outstanding! Many of the patients said that straight teeth really gave them a new found confidence, and with the different less obvious braces Erika could provide them with, meant the idea of braces wasn’t traumatising or embarrassing.

Day 6

Today a celebrity came into the Dental Spa, due to patient confidentiality I won’t reveal who this was, but let’s just say I was soooooo excited I was sure I would “Pass out”

Day 7

The past few days of experiencing the work life of a dentist in the Covent Garden Dental Spa was marvellous, astonishing and above all tranquil. I was told any placement in the medical department would land me a seat  at the receptions desk filing through papers, which I would have been happy with, but actually having the opportunity to sit in procedures and watch someone ease another’s pain, insecurities and distress has truly been a gift. I will treasure my time at the Covent Garden Dental Spa forever as it has really motivated me to be a dentist when I’m older. I would like to give a big thank you to the Covent Garden Dental Team for giving me memories I will forever cherish.     

 

AUTHOR: Miss Simi Amayo, St Catherine's Catholic School for Girls (Age 15years old)