Oral Cancer Awareness Month: the perfect time to brush up on resources

By | April 6, 2018

The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 51,540 new cases of oral and oropharyngeal cancer this year and 10,030 deaths from the disease. The ADA is putting a spotlight on this disease in a number of ways, most notably by collaborating with The National HPV Vaccination Roundtable, an organization established by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention that aims to reduce the number of HPV-associated cancers and cervical precancerous lesions as well as non-cancer outcomes. Through our collaboration, we’re pleased to share this action guide that highlights five specific actions your practice can take to help reduce HPV infections.

As we mark Oral Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to make sure we’re all up to date on the latest resources available. The Association published its oral cancer guideline last year, and if you haven’t had a chance to review it, make sure to do so today. It offers guidance for dentists on how to check for lesions, how to identify potentially malignant disorders (PMDs) and how to proceed in relevant clinical scenarios.

In addition to the guideline, the ADA has produced a chairside guide to walk you through the guideline’s recommendations, along with an instructional video that shows how to perform each step of a conventional visual and tactile exam on a patient.

Ever notice a suspicious lesion during a patient’s exam? There’s also a “For the Patient” article answering frequently asked questions about oral cancer and its signs and symptoms. You can also steer patients to the ADA’s oral cancer resources for patients at MouthHealthy.org. Consider stocking brochures about mouth and throat cancers in your office.

Want to learn even more about oral cancer? Make sure to explore the courses pertaining to oral cancer at ADA 2018 and register today for the meeting.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that this can be a very difficult disease for patients. Hear how Sandy Wexler’s dentist saved her life.

2 thoughts on “Oral Cancer Awareness Month: the perfect time to brush up on resources

  1. Urbandale Smiles

    Everybody needs to know about oral cancer, don’t ignore and take a positive initiative towards regular dental checkups. It was really a helpful information. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *