The British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has issued a warning over self-diagnosis using internet symptom checkers.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the BDHF, believes that as a nation, we are too reliant on the internet, which could potentially be costing lives as people are more likely to read up about their symptoms online rather than seeking the advice of a dentist or doctor.
A survey carried out by the BDHF revealed that over 30% of people admit to searching for information about their symptoms online prior to seeing a health professional, with 40% saying they actually prefer doing this than booking an appointment. Dr Carter worries that this approach could cost lives in the case of serious diseases such as mouth cancer.
Interestingly, the study, which was aiming to analyse the UK’s knowledge and attitudes towards mouth cancer, found that while the internet was the most-used source for learning more about symptoms, it was also the least trusted, with less than 25% of respondents saying they always trust what they read on the internet. Strangely, health professionals such as doctors and dentists were found to be the most-trusted, which has left experts wondering why people turn to the internet when this is the case.
Dr Carter took it upon himself to try out some online symptom checkers, and was alarmed to find that one website gave details only about thrush when he typed in the symptoms, ‘white patches in the mouth’. This is a symptom of oral cancer, a disease which can be deadly, yet there was no mention of it on the site.
He is urging the public to adopt traditional techniques if they have symptoms they are worried about. If you notice changes in your mouth or feel ill, it is much safer and more sensible to seek the opinion of your dentist or doctor rather than searching your symptoms online. In many cases, delaying diagnosis can be very costly. With mouth cancer, an early diagnosis made by a dentist or doctor could improve the chances of survival by 50-90 per cent.