Published on: 31 July 2024

The NHS and Asda are teaming up to provide vital advice on millions of toothpaste tubes and mouthwash bottles, encouraging people to contact their GP or dentist if they notice any potential symptoms of mouth cancer.

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Asda's own brand of oral hygiene products now feature NHS advice in almost 50 of its stores across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw, as well as hundreds more across the country and online. The guidance will be clearly displayed on the packaging, along with a link to more detailed information about mouth and throat cancer on the NHS website.

The aim of the partnership is to raise awareness of symptoms that could indicate cancer, such as an ulcer that lasts for three weeks or more and encourage people to contact their GP or dental practice and get checked as early as possible.

Symptoms of mouth cancer also include a white or red patch in the mouth that does not heal within three weeks, a lump or swelling in the mouth, jaw, or neck that lasts for more than three weeks, and difficulty swallowing, chewing, or moving the jaw or tongue.

Numbness in the tongue or other areas of the mouth, a sensation of something being stuck in the throat, a chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists for more than six weeks, and unexplained loosening of teeth can also be possible signs of cancer.

Sam Dickson, one of Asda’s vice presidents, said “We’re proud to launch this collaboration with the NHS by putting mouth and throat cancer awareness on our own brand of oral hygiene products.

“We sell over two million of these everyday items each year, so making this small change to our packaging means we can make a big difference in encouraging shoppers to be more aware and to highlight what they should do if they find any new or unexplained changes.”