Spinning in Cockermouth

Staff from Maryport Dental Care Centre, St Helen's Dental Practice, Helen Siddle Dental Practice and Goodwin Dental Practice joined forces in November to run a four-hour 'Spinathon' on spinning bikes at Cockermouth Leisure Centre, to raise awareness of mouth cancer and collect funds. Two of the practices are offering a limited number of free mouth cancer checks for people who don't have a dentist.

Presentations in Dundee

Professor Graham Ogden and Mr Kishore Shekar discussed the increasing incidence and changing presentation of mouth cancer at the British Dental Association (BDA) Dundee and Perth District Section's November symposium. Mr Michael Walton explored the social impact of mouth cancer and presented the work of The Ben Walton Trust, a charity founded in memory of his son who died of mouth cancer aged 22 years.

Miss Anja Visser presented the work of Mouth Cancer Awareness Week. For the last 15 years this local committee has campaigned to raise awareness among students at the University of Dundee.

GPs overwhelmed by dental patients

A survey of more than 1,000 GPs, looking at how patients seeking advice on oral health issues impacts their surgeries, concluded that GPs feel under increasing pressure from patients who are coming to them, rather than their dentists, for oral health related issues. Ninety-six percent think that more should be done to encourage patients to go to their dentist rather than their GP for mouth-related health issues.

The results of the survey, which was commissioned by the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), were released as part of Mouth Cancer Action Month.

Trust Checklist

Dr Taher Rashid, a restorative and cosmetic dentist in Farnham, Surrey, has published a 'Trust Checklist' and video on his practice's website so that patients 'can be confident that their dentist will detect early signs of mouth cancer'. The video can be viewed at: www.timedental.co.uk/blog/.