In 2021, Blue Wednesday takes place on November 17^th and we are asking you to share one very simple message….

A self check for mouth cancer takes 45 seconds and can save your life.

For Blue Wednesday we want to encourage as many people as possible to check their mouth for the early warning signs of mouth cancer.

Help us get more people regularly checking themselves for mouth cancer because early diagnosis is vital for beating the disease.

Spotting mouth cancer early can significantly change a person’s quality of life.

You can take part in Blue Wednesday by sharing information about how to conduct a self-check at home.

You can do this by sending patient’s newsletter and emails or on social media. The information you should include:

What to look for:

• Long lasting mouth ulcers
  
  
• Red or white patches
  
  
• Unusual lumps and swelling

Where to check

• Roof and floor of the mouth
  
  
• Inside of the cheeks
  
  
• Gums
  
  
• Tonsils
  
  
• Tongue
  
  
• Lips
  
  
• Head and neck

Who to contact if anything out of the ordinary is noticed:

• A dentist
  
  
• A doctor

How you can help spread awareness on social media

• We have a range of resources available to download
  
  
• #BakeSomethingBlue and share on social media 
  
  
• Dress up in blue wigs or props and posting a photo with the hashtags #BlueWednesday and #BlueLipSelfie. We have photo booth props which you can print and cut out yourself in our fundraising toolkit. 
  
  
• Include simple mouth cancer awareness messages in your posts.

Here are a few examples of social media captions which spread awareness of mouth cancer.

We’re raising awareness of mouth cancer because around 7 people a day lose their life to mouth cancer yet not much is
known about the disease.

The Oral Health Foundation have been raising awareness of mouth cancer for 21 years, help us to help them spread
their messages far and wide.

A 45 second check could save your life. Learn the signs of mouth cancer, such as unusual lumps, red or white patches and ulcers, to catch it early.

Here is a great example of a #BlueWenesday activity - NHS Shetland Oral Health Improvement team went on a Blue Walk raising awareness of mouth cancer through Lerwick.

---

Useful links:

• Mouth cancer: Signs and symptoms poster (JPEG)

• Mouth cancer: Self examination poster (JPEG)

• Mouth cancer: Signs and symptoms social media graphics (ZIP)