A dentist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Kalsoum Zakaria Adam, has expressed concern about the steady rise in mouth and throat cancer cases in the country.

She revealed that most of the diagnoses was a result of excessive smoking and alcoholism.

Researchers say that oral cancer accounts for the deaths of about 200,000 people around the world annually.

According to Dr Adam, most smokers do not adhere to best oral hygiene practices, a situation that leads to oral cancers which could potentially lead to lung cancer.

She emphasised that smokers stand a higher risk of contracting oral cancer and advised the public to avoid smoking to reduce the probability of oral cancers.

Dr Kalsoum, who was speaking to Class91.3FM on the occasion of World Oral Health Day, which is observed on 20 March each year, said smoking “alters some genes within the mouth and then eventually you have abnormal cells forming and that is what we call cancer”.

Organised by FDI World Dental Federation, the World Oral Health Day involves campaigns by national dental associations from around the world with activities in over 130 countries aimed at raising global awareness of oral health issues and the importance of oral hygiene so that governments, health associations and the general public can work together to achieve healthier mouths and happier lives.