FREE checks for oral cancer will be on offer at a York dental practice, amid rapidly rising rates of the disease that kills one person in Britain every five hours.

Acorn Dental Practice, in Acomb, which went fully private in April, is throwing open its doors for two mornings and an afternoon this month to mark an awareness week into the disease - also referred to as mouth cancer.

Practice owner Maxine Flynn said oral cancer had risen by 20 per cent in the past four years, particularly among young people.

"With oral cancer, there's a 50 per cent chance of survival," she said. "The number of people without the risk factors seem to be increasing too. This is our campaign for oral cancer awareness. It's the first time we've done it. Because it's caused by smoking and drinking, and unfortunately young people are drinking more and more, the chance of getting it in young people is more and more."

Acorn's decision to offer the free checks comes amid fears more people are not going to the dentist because of the current shortage of NHS dental provision.

In this area, there are still thousands of people on the NHS dental waiting list.

This week the British Dental Health Foundation warned that deaths from oral cancer could rise even more because of confusion in the UK's dentist services - saying one person died from the disease every five hours in Britain.

But early diagnosis is said to increase survival rates from about one in two to nine out of ten - making dental visits vital.

Mrs Flynn said: "People are scared off coming to the dentist because there are so few NHS ones. Teeth are important, but cancer is much more important than that. If nothing else, get your mouth checked for oral cancer."

Dentists checking for the disease give a thorough check of the mouth, looking for lumps, bumps, red and white patches, and ulcers that have been around for more than ten days.

Mrs Flynn said the practice routinely checked for oral cancer on its own patients, but during the times available that week was offering its checks to anyone who wanted to have one.

The checks, which will last between 15 and 20 minutes, are being offered on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 14, and the mornings of Thursday, November 16, and Friday, November 17. To book one, phone the practice on 01904 789876. You can download a free guide about dental care by visiting www.dentalhealth.org