Community Dental Services offer free oral health screening in Luton

Community and faith leaders in Luton have teamed up with Community Dental Services (CDS) to raise awareness of oral cancers and encourage people to take up oral cancer screening sessions.
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Free oral health screening and advice will be provided by CDS in their mobile dental clinic on Wednesday, November 20, at the Central Mosque on Wesbourne Road, between 10am and 4pm.

The sessions will include advice on how to maintain a healthy mouth, the signs and symptoms of mouth cancers and free oral health screening.

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Any adults are welcome to attend the sessions which are being delivered by CDS Dental and Oral Health teams.

Mouthaware campaignMouthaware campaign
Mouthaware campaign

The event in Luton is taking place during Mouth Cancer Action Month, a national campaign to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and to encourage regular oral health check-ups at the dentist.

Overall, all forms of cancer are the biggest contributor to premature mortality in Luton at 36 per cent.

Oral cancer is a serious disease with one in 75 men and one in 150 women facing a diagnosis of a form of oral cancer at some point in their lives. It is strongly influenced by lifestyle factors such as smoking.

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Following good oral health advice can help to prevent the disease and dental examinations are crucial in terms of early detection of the cancer. Oral cancer screening is pain free, takes two minutes and is part of a routine dental check-up.

Sue Jordan, Assistant Director, Oral Health Improvement for CDS said: “We are delighted that we have been able to work across communities in Luton to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of oral cancer and to offer free oral health screening.

“We want to make people more mouth aware and to encourage regular dental examinations. We are very grateful to the Central Mosque for allowing us to be based on their premises and to reach out to local communities who may be unaware of this terrible disease and the steps they can take to prevent it.”

Gerry Taylor, Corporate Director for Public Health and Wellbeing for Luton Council said: “Cases of mouth cancer continue to rise at an astonishing rate with over 8,000 reported in the UK last year.

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"It’s important that people become more ‘mouthaware’ by knowing what to do to minimise their risks and being able to recognise the early warning signs of mouth cancer so that they can take appropriate action.

"It’s great to see local communities working with the Community Dental Services to help raise awareness of this form of cancer and to encourage regular dental check-ups.”