What is mouth cancer screening?
Mouth cancer screening is a short procedure at the dental practice that involves a thorough examination of your whole mouth, including the use of a handheld scanning device that is used to examine any lumps or lesions that you might have. This will highlight any risk factors so we can treat or refer you as quickly as possible.
It is recommended that you come in for a screening on a yearly basis. If you have any sores, lumps or long-term ulcers in your mouth, no matter how small, it is very important that you come in to have it looked at.
Why we screen for mouth cancer
Late detection of mouth cancers has resulted in a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma, with about 2,700 deaths per year in the UK.
Because smoking is strongly linked with many forms of cancer and other dental problems, we always encourage our patients to quit smoking. An excellent source of information is the Mouth Cancer Foundation if you require any further information.
Find your local Together Dental Practice
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To be honest I wouldn't go anywhere else - Patient at Clacton Dental Care Ltd
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I'm so pleased that I joined this practice last year - Patient at Colchester Dental Care
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I was met with unfailing patience and professionalism from everyone - Patient at Reepham Road Dental Care
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I am honestly staggered by the prodigious kindness - Patient at Oradi Dental
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I am seriously impressed, especially with the price! - Patient at Colchester Dental Care
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Such wonderful staff so helpful nothing is too much for them - Patient at Clacton Dental Care Ltd
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Quite thorough treatment and explanation - Patient at Southend Dental Care
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Top marks again! - Patient at St Cuthberts Dental Care
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Used to hate going to the dentist but the staff here put you at ease - Patient at Clacton Dental Care Ltd
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I went in early for my appointment and cannot fault the service - Patient at Clacton Dental Care Ltd
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Great service as always - Patient at St Cuthberts Dental Care
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I had a awful experience with a local dentist went on line and found , it turned out a brilliant dentist - Patient at Country Park Dental Practice
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Our expert team have created their list of predictions for the biggest trends in teeth for the coming year. Trend number one in our list of 'top 10 smile trends we will see in the coming year' is the increase in more gentlemen having cosmetic dentistry.
More gents are having cosmetic dentistry than ever before. We are seeing an increase in men who wish to improve their smiles with the latest technical treatments on the market. Gents increasingly want to look after themselves and their health, and having a lovely fresh bright smile is the most striking way to improve their appearance. Men are comfortable in attending dental surgeries for aesthetic treatments as they can ‘pass it off’ as a routine trip to the dentist.
Read our top 10 smile trends we will see in the coming year www.together.dental/blog/together-dental-trends-report-2021/
Regular hygienist treatments play a vital role in protecting your oral health. Giving you a sparkling clean smile and fresh breath, as well as spotting any issues before they become serious. Book your hygiene appointment today www.together.dental/treatments/hygiene-airpolish/
We want to reassure you that we are here to give you the care that you need, and we are taking all of the safety precautions that we can to safeguard health. Here’s what to expect at your next appointment:
Before you attend:
We need to know if you are an NHS identified vulnerable or shielded person. We’ll ask you to fill in a form in advance to let us know any medical history to ensure that you’ve got the right sort of appointment
· Please come on your own unless you are with a child or vulnerable person who needs support
· Visit the toilet before you leave as access to our facilities will be restricted
· Have some light refreshments as we might not be able to provide anything like this
· Brush your teeth
Please bring with you:
· Minimal personal items
· Your face covering or mask
· We will store your personal items (coat and bag) during your appointment so please bring a large plastic bag if you would like to or we will provide storage
We have limited space when you arrive at the practice, so:
· Be aware that we may lock the front door to limit numbers inside the practice. If that’s the case when you arrive we will be expecting you, so either knock or telephone our reception and we will come out to collect you
· Try to arrive on time, and if you are early please wait in your car, or outside
COVID19 checks:
· When you come in, we’ll check again if you or any of your family have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been contacted by the NHS tracing system or are self- isolating.
· Just so you know we are conducting daily assessments on every team member to ensure that anyone who shows any signs or symptoms remains at home.
Inside the practice:
· We will invite you to wash your hands or use hand sanitiser.
· We will do this frequently, and as lead you through the practice we will ensure that social distancing is maintained at all times!
· We have limited the amount of admin and support staff within the practice. There are less people than usual and anyone present will be wearing different types of Personal Protective Equipment for their different roles
· Your belongings will be stored away
Other important information:
· In between patients’ appointments we complete a thorough decontamination, infection control and sterilisation process of the surgery
· When you see your dentist, therapist or hygienist for your appointment, they will confirm your medical history and carry out an ‘on the day’ risk assessment and consent process. We are trying to minimise you having to fill in too many physical forms so we will ask many questions and record these to your records
· At the end of the treatment any payment will be taken with a contactless payment and we’ll ask you to use hand sanitiser before leaving
· We look forward to seeing you – safely! Please remember please cancel your appointment if you or any of your family have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been contacted by the NHS tracing system or are self- isolating
Just a little note to remind you that we are open, and ready to treat you. We want to reassure you that we are taking extensive precautions to safeguard your health, and the health of our team. It is safe to visit the dentist.
We are carefully following government guidelines on infection control, we can continue to see you and offer you the same levels of dental care. With the additional PPE and care pathways we’ve embraced, appointments are taking a little longer than usual. We are required to allow ‘fallow time’ (space between appointments to reduce infection risk). We’re pleased to say, at Together Dental, we’ve invested in air-extraction systems, HEPA filtration systems to reduce fallow time, increasing the number of patients we can now see.
We appreciate your continued understanding whilst we clear the back log of patients. We are currently still prioritising patients with emergency and urgent needs, and gradually resuming routine care. Appointments are still limited as we work through the backlog and waiting lists. Our NHS team of dentists and nurses are working at full capacity and our private dentists are now offering as many appointments as they can, to expand our care.
We are always pleased when you refer your friends to our practice and would like to offer a small ‘thank you’ when you recommend a patient for a cosmetic dental treatment. Refer a friend for our specialist Implant or Invisalign treatments and you and your friend will receive £150 each as a thank you. Find out more www.together.dental/treatments/refer-a-friend-2/
