Why regular trips to the dentist will make you smile...whatever the weather!

Liverpool healthcare cash plan providers Medicash are urging people to have regular dental check-ups and ask their dentist to check for mouth cancer.

This advice follows the release of statistics in the Liverpool Echo identifying that there are now twice as many people in Merseyside developing mouth cancer than the national average. Professor Simon Rogers, a world expert in the condition based at Fazakerley hospital, urged people to boost their survival chances by flagging up persistent soreness, lumps or ulcers to their dentist or GP.

Awareness of the causes of mouth cancer is increasingly important during the summer months as research shows that over-exposure to the sun can increase the risk of cancer of the lips. However, there is still a lack of awareness when it comes to cancer and protecting skin in the sun.

A survey sponsored by healthcare cash plan provider Medicash and conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation revealed that almost 40% of people in Liverpool do not apply suntan lotion to their lips and could be at risk of mouth cancer by not doing so.

Sue Weir, chief executive of Medicash says: "To be protected from one of the causes of mouth cancer it is essential to use a good protective sun cream or lip balm with a high SPF (sun protection factor) number whether holidaying abroad or in the UK."