26 Oct 2017

With Mouth Cancer Action Month set to kick-off next week, its organiser the Oral Health Foundation, is urging all dental professionals to turn blue on Wednesday 15 November and show their support for mouth cancer awareness.

The charity is appealing to health professionals around the country to take part in Blue Wednesday to help share key messages about healthy lifestyle choices and encourage patients and communities to be ‘Mouthaware’ by being able to recognise and act on any unusual changes in the mouth.

Blue Wednesday will sit alongside the campaign’s Blue Ribbon Appeal and asks anybody who is passionate about raising awareness of mouth cancer to turn blue and raise awareness of a disease which has increased by 68% in the United Kingdom over the last 20 years.

Speaking about the importance of November’s campaign, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said: “Being at the forefront of the disease, dental health professionals can help us make significant steps forward improving awareness of mouth cancer, a disease which continues to sit under the radar.

“Blue Wednesday is just one of the many pieces of activity we have lined up throughout November so we hope you can get involved, support the campaign and change the landscape of mouth cancer in the UK.”

In past year’s supporters have worn blue wigs, blue jewellery or even painted their faces blue on Blue Wednesday. Try to be as creative as possible and don’t forget that you can find plenty of blue items to wear, like the plastic blue lips and blue lipstick, in the campaign’s online shop at www.mouthcancer.org/shop.

“Chances are that we will all have something blue in our wardrobe. Whether it is a shirt, trousers, hat or tie, please do get involved on 15 November by donning on a bit of blue,” added Dr Carter.

“In previous years we have seen people combine this by wearing a Blue Ribbon Badge, decorating the office blue, taking Blue Lip Selfies, and even painting themselves blue.”

By using Blue Wednesday as an opportunity to discuss mouth cancer with patients and members of the local community while raising awareness of the risk factors and signs and symptoms of the disease, the charity believes that lives could be saved through early detection.

Latest figures show more than 7,500 Brits are diagnosed with cancer a year while it claims more than 2,000 lives, more than testicular and cervical cancer combined.

“The need for us to come together as a group and raise awareness of mouth cancer has never been more pressing,” added Dr Carter.

“I ask you to please get involved as much as you can throughout the month and especially on Blue Wednesday. Drum up as much support as you can and help us spread key, life-saving messages as far and wide as possible.”

Please let the Oral Health Foundation know what you are doing on Blue Wednesday by posting pictures on Twitter using #MouthCancerAction. You can also email [email protected] with any events or activities you are planning to run throughout November.

More information about mouth cancer and how you can get involved in November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month can be found at www.mouthcancer.org.