Background
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality globally, with oral and oropharyngeal cancer rates remaining persistently high. Moreover, the incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) continues to rise at approximately 1% per year, with mortality rates for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated OPSCC increasing at approximately 2% per year.
Dental hygienists are often the first healthcare providers to identify risk factors and signs and symptoms related to head and neck cancers in their clients. Detecting cancer in the earliest stages is essential to favourable treatment outcomes, improving quality of life, and preventing loss of life.
Abstract
Dental hygienists may be the first to identify OSCC signs and symptoms during routine extra and intra-oral examinations. A comprehensive extra-oral and intra-oral examination during regular dental hygiene assessment is paramount to identifying oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and cancerous lesions for timely referral and treatment.
Integrating a systematic list of questions during the medical and dental assessment, along with careful visual and tactile examinations, is fundamental to identifying OPMDs and cancerous lesions. Understanding the relationship between OPSCC and HPV and how vaccination can prevent HPV-related OPSCC is critical to providing evidence-based recommendations and care.
This report provides a summary of the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of OPSCCs and OSCCs, along with the role of the oral healthcare professional in client referral and supportive care. The report provides the latest evidence on what dental hygienists must know to improve health outcomes and mitigate the consequences of undiagnosed cancer. This report considers enduring challenges with the annual rise in OPSCC rates and the public health burden of HPV-related cancers. Regular, quality continuing education about OSCC and OPSCC and recommendations for evidence-based training are emphasized.
