DENTISTS in Clacton have warned residents about the dangers of mouth cancer after seeing a surge in cases.

Staff at Clacton Dental Care decided to take action after a flurry of patients were diagnosed.

The St Osyth Road surgery has identified three cases of the disease in the past three months.

Clacton staff discovered a huge number of their patients had never even heard of mouth cancer.

So they have now launched a campaign to raise awareness, which started with an exhibition at Tesco.

Practice manager Dionne Marsh said: “We set up at Tesco and spoke to more than 200 people through the day and found that about 80 per cent had never heard of mouth cancer or realise how serious it can be.

“It’s extremely worrying when we have seen a rise in the number of patients suffering from it. It’s important people know of the dangers so they know to get it diagnosed and treated early. That could be the difference between them living or dying.”

About 6,800 new cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed every year.

The majority of cases are a result of lifestyle factors, and the Clacton Dental Care team is encouraging patients to eat more fruit and vegetables, stop smoking and limit their alcohol consumption.

The main symptom is a sore or ulcer in the mouth that does not heal, while other symptoms include bleeding and numbness.

Anyone with concerns should get a check-up.