Mouth Cancer Action Month (MCAM) 2021

To highlight Mouth Cancer Action Month (MCAM) last November, the NHS Ayrshire & Arran Oral Health Improvement Team (OHI) visited 14 venues across Ayrshire and ran an advert on local radio to raise awareness.

During their visits, the OHI team handed out bags containing a checklist of mouth cancer signs and a disposable mouth mirror, allowing people to familiarise themselves with their own mouths and to look out for any changes.

A dentist would normally examine a patient’s teeth and the soft tissues of their mouth at their regular check-up appointments. However, Covid-19 has made this extremely difficult, making the OHI team’s visits even more important.

The team visited 14 venues in total, including the new Barony Campus in Cumnock, leisure centres, supermarkets, hospitals, Dumfries House and Ayrshire Colleges, and hosted a word search competition at each one (with the six winners receiving an electric toothbrush as their prize). All attendees received goody bags, which was another great way to encourage everyone to engage with the team.

The event was hugely successful and the OHI team’s goal was achieved: to have more people talking about mouth cancer and knowing how to spot the signs.

Below are some of the word search competition winners:

Students attending the NC in Oral Health course at the Ayrshire College Kilwinning Campus arranged dates to set up a stall at each of the 3 Ayrshire Colleges. The OHI team supported them with this and donated 3 prizes for the competition the students created. Below is a photo of some of the students attending the Kilwinning Campus with the great stall they set up. They also dressed up in blue for MCAM. 

MCAM is a great opportunity to learn the signs of mouth cancer and how to reduce your risk of developing it.

If you’d like to learn more about mouth cancer, visit the NHS Ayrshire & Arran Better Health or Mouth Cancer Action Month websites.

You can also contact the Oral Heath Team for information and advice.