Mouth cancer survivor: Dental check ups saved my life
Source: www.express.co.uk Author: Elaine McLaren “Nobody particularly enjoys visits to the dentist and I’m no exception, but I’ve always looked after my teeth and have never missed a six-month check. So that day back in May 2009, I wasn’t expecting there to be any problems. I hadn’t been in any pain or discomfort, so I was surprised when the dentist voiced his concern. ‘There’s a white patch on the side of your tongue,’ he told me through his mask. ‘It’s probably nothing but you should get it checked out by your GP, just to be on the safe side.’ Examination over, I sat up in the chair as he explained what he thought it could be – a condition called leukoplakia, which was harmless in its mild form and often disappeared without the need for treatment. So when, a few days later, I was sitting opposite my GP, I was shocked to hear the condition was closely linked to mouth cancer. My heart sank at the mere mention of the word. Just seven years earlier, I’d lost my dad to lung cancer. My thoughts immediately turned to my own children, Grace, who was then only eight, and Daniel, five, and whether they’d have to go through the same trauma as I had with Dad. As quickly as the notion had entered my head, I brushed it aside. I was only 38 then, I didn’t smoke or drink heavily and I ate healthily. Nothing made me a high risk. But that [...]