What Do Dentists and Dental Students Think of Oral Cancer and Its Control and Prevention Strategies? A Qualitative Study in Jazan Dental School

Abstract Jazan region of Saudi Arabia has a high prevalence of oral cancer: 35% of cases. However, little is known about the view of dentists and dental students on possible factors that contribute to this high rate with scarce efforts regarding prevention. The study investigated possible factors related to oral cancer as perceived by dentists and dental students, using a qualitative approach. Six focus groups conducted in Jazan Dental School (JDS) and participants included dental students, interns, faculty members, and key decision-makers. All participants acknowledged oral cancer a serious public health issue in Jazan affecting all ages. The majority thought that tobacco is a major risk factor in this region, which can easily be obtained by individuals of any age or gender. Further, formal dental education in the country is not focusing on the local related risk factors. Participants agreed that practicing oral cancer examination and its risk factors education is related to clinicians’ attitude and skills. Several participants declared that no organized effort established toward oral cancer and its risk factors in the region. Cultural acceptance of oral cancer risk factors was mentioned as one of the challenges for patients. The findings indicate that dental education and training at JDS are not focusing on necessary related oral health issues and their risk factors in the community. Also, it casts a new light on the fact that dentists are not educating their patients because they lack the knowledge and the skill of health education and patients’ communication methods.

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Knowledge of Future Dental Practitioners towards Oral Cancer: Exploratory Findings from a Public University in Malaysia

International Journal of Dentistry ◽

10.1155/2015/218065 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula ◽

Nazrin Bin Zakaria ◽

Shazia Qasim Jamshed

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Public University ◽

Dental Students ◽

Oral Lesions ◽

Drinking Alcohol ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cancer Risk Factors ◽

Additional Information ◽

Dental Practitioners

Objective. To assess knowledge and awareness of oral cancer in the early identification of risk factors among undergraduate dental students.Methods. A total of 162 undergraduate (third, fourth, and fifth year) dental students at International Islamic University, Malaysia, were approached to participate in the study, and those who agreed were administered. A 9-item pretested questionnaire contains questions on oral examination, oral cancer risk factors, and requests for further information. Descriptive statistics were conducted using chi-square testing.Results.The response rate of the study was 70.3% (114/162), with 26 (22.8%) males and 88 (77.2%) females. All undergraduate dental students were familiar with examining the oral mucosa of their patients and most were likely to advise patients about the risk factors for developing oral cancer (98.2%). Nearly one-third (32.4%) of students reported examining patients with oral lesions as early signs for oral cancer (P<0.001) and nearly 70% agreed that they did not have sufficient knowledge regarding the prevention and detection of oral cancer (P<0.001). In addition, more than 95.6% agreed that there is a need for additional information/teaching regarding oral cancer. Further, 61.3% and 14.1% identified tobacco smoking and drinking alcohol as major risk factors for developing oral cancer.Conclusion.This study demonstrated lack of awareness about risk factors among undergraduate dental students regarding oral cancer. Reinforcing awareness and enhancing the benefits of early detection on prevention of oral cancer should be done through training and/or educational intervention.

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Identifying Risk Factors Affecting the Usage of Digital and Social Media: A Preliminary Qualitative Study in the Dental Profession and Dental Education

Dentistry Journal ◽

10.3390/dj9050053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Rayan Sharka ◽

Jonathan P. San Diego ◽

Melanie Nasseripour ◽

Avijit Banerjee

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Dental Education ◽

Dental Students ◽

General Context ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

The Uk ◽

Dental Professionals

Aims: This study aimed to identify the risk factors of using DSM to provide an insight into the inherent implications this has on dental professionals in practice and trainee professionals’ education. Materials and methods: Twenty-one participants (10 dental professionals and 11 undergraduate and postgraduate dental students) participated in this qualitative study using semi-structured interviews in a dental school in the UK. The interviews were analysed and categorised into themes, some of which were identified from previous literature (e.g., privacy and psychological risks) and others emerged from the data (e.g., deceptive and misleading information). Results: The thematic analysis of interview transcripts identified nine perceived risk themes. Three themes were associated with the use of DSM in the general context, and six themes were related to the use of DSM in professional and education context. Conclusions: This study provided evidence to understand the risk factors of using DSM in dental education and the profession, but the magnitude of these risks on the uptake and usefulness of DSM needs to be assessed.

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Awareness About Oral Cancer Among Dental Students

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl3.3044 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL3) ◽

pp. 892-895

Author(s):

Nishanthi R ◽

Ashok Velayudhan ◽

Dhanraj Ganapathy

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Dental Students ◽

Cancer Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Self Administered Questionnaire

Oral cancer affects people in the 6th and seventh many years of existence with a background marked by smoking tobacco and, or liquor utilization. Early acknowledgement and referral are basic as less treatment is required to decrease mortality and morbidity. Past examinations have demonstrated that oral cancer can be quiet in symptoms with attention to primal signs being increasingly advantageous in diagnosis. To assessing oral cancer knowledge and awareness among undergraduate dental studentsA cross-sectional survey was done with a self-administered questionnaire with 10 questions circulated among 100 dental students. The questionnaire assessed the awareness about oral cancer, their risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management strategies. The responses were recorded and analysed. 96 % of dental students were aware of oral cancer.95% said smoking and tobacco-related products are the major risk factors of oral cancer.85% were aware of clinical manifestation of oral cancer.71% were aware of the diagnosis of oral cancer and 65% were aware of management strategies for oral cancer.Greater part of the responders in this investigation had satisfactory information about clinical indications of oral cancer. Efforts ought to be made to develop inspirational disposition towards avoidance of oral cancer. There is a necessity to present instructions on counteraction, early referral and demonstrative techniques for oral cancer.

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Comparative study of knowledge about oral cancer among undergraduate dental students

Einstein (São Paulo) ◽

10.1590/s1679-45082016ao3729 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 338-345

Author(s):

Samara Ribeiro da Silva ◽

Yara Juliano ◽

Neil Ferreira Novo ◽

Ilan Weinfeld

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Dental Students ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

Significance Level ◽

First Semester ◽

Group A ◽

Group B ◽

Self Examination

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate and compare the knowledge of dental undergraduate students about oral cancer. Methods: The students were divided into two groups according to semester attended in the undergraduate course: Group A, the first semester; and Group B, seventh semester. They were asked to answer a questionnaire about epidemiology, risk factors, clinical aspects, therapeutic solutions and oral self-examination. For statistical analysis, the Fisher's exact test, the Cochran's G test and Kendall's concordance test were used, with significance level set at 0.05. Results: Regarding the prevalent sex, only 8.0% of Group A and 56.0% of Group B judged males as the frequent affected by the disease (p=0.0006). In terms of age, 84.0% of the Group B and 44.0% of the Group A estimated that most cases were diagnosed over 40 years (p=0.0072). Smoking was identified as the major risk factor for 64.0% and 91.6% of Groups A and B, respectively (p=0.0110). On issues related to sex, ethnicity, age, risk factors, self-examination, treatment, professional responsible for treatment and profile of an individual with the disease, the seventh-semester showed significantly higher correct answer percentages than first-semester undergraduates. Conclusion: There was significant correlation between the right and wrong answers given by first and seventh semester students, making necessary a specific approach directed to their lack of knowledge.

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Oral Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells: Relevance to Oral Cancer Risk Factors, Premalignant Lesions, and Treatment

Current Oral Health Reports ◽

10.1007/s40496-016-0081-3 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 65-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Victoria M. Prince ◽

Silvana Papagerakis ◽

Mark E. Prince

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Stem Cells ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Cancer Stem Cells ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Premalignant Lesions ◽

Cancer Risk Factors ◽

Oral Cancer Risk

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The Role of the Dental Team in Preventing and Diagnosing Cancer: 2. Oral Cancer Risk Factors

Dental Update ◽

10.12968/denu.2005.32.5.261 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 261-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Crispian Scully ◽

Laurence Newman ◽

Jose Vicente Bagan

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Cancer Risk Factors ◽

Oral Cancer Risk

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COVID-19 and a Call to Adapt Dental Education

Frontiers in Dental Medicine ◽

10.3389/fdmed.2021.664460 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Murad Alrashdi ◽

Ahmed Hameed ◽

Abdullah Aljabr

Keyword(s):

Clinical Education ◽

Dental Education ◽

School Administrators ◽

Dental Students ◽

Dental School ◽

Web Based ◽

Early Effect ◽

School Research ◽

Regulatory Bodies ◽

Dental Schools

Introduction: COVID-19 has harmed the economic, academic, and clinical pursuits of dental educational institutions and dental students. As dental associations, health agencies, and regulatory bodies around the globe announced the need for social distancing and stricter safety measures, some dental schools worldwide have been adapting to accommodate for such changes.Methods: This review attempts to provide a general picture of the early responses of some dental schools worldwide to the COVID-19 crisis and identify some of the regulations that influenced dental schools' initial decisions. An analytical approach was used to assess changes to dental school curriculums in didactic (academic/non-clinical) and clinical education, examinations, administration, and dental school research. The assessment was based on a web-based search of a variety of online global references including research articles, reviews, letters, press releases, and surveys regarding the early effect of covid-19 on dental education at some dental institutions in the U.S, Europe, and Asia from late February to early July of 2020. The review also offered further recommendations to dental school administrators regarding the future of dental education during the early stages of a pandemic.Conclusions: Innovations in technology and blended educational methodologies will continue to influence how certain dental schools around the world adapt to the changes caused by COVID-19 and better prepare dental education institutions for potential future public health disruptions.Clinical significance: Dental schools will need to adapt their education system to improve didactic, preclinical, clinical, administrative, and research components of dental education in response to the changes caused by COVID-19 and future pandemics.

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Knowledge, opinions, and practices related to oral cancer prevention and oral mucosal examination among dentists in Moldova, Belarus and Armenia: a multi-country cross-sectional study

BMC Oral Health ◽

10.1186/s12903-021-02011-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Olga Golburean ◽

Maria Helene Hagen ◽

Diana Uncuta ◽

Marcela Tighineanu ◽

Gayane Manrikyan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Cancer Prevention ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

High Rate ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prognostic Outcome ◽

Available Information

Abstract Introduction Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia are post-Soviet countries with a high rate of heavy smokers and a relatively high age-standardized incidence of oral cancer. However, to our knowledge, there is lack of available information on dentists’ knowledge on prevention of oral cancer in the countries in question. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, opinions, and practices related to oral cancer prevention and oral mucosal examination among dentists in Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia. Methods This was a multi-country, cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 3534 dentists (797 in Chisinau, Moldova, 1349 in Minsk, Belarus, and 1388 in Yerevan, Armenia). Dentists' knowledge about risk factors for oral cancer development and its clinical picture, current practices and opinions with regard to oral mucosal screening and oral cancer prevention, and their consistency to perform oral mucosal examination were assessed. A knowledge score ranging from 0 to 14 points was generated based on each dentist’s answer to the questionnaire. Results A total of 1316 dentists responded, achieving an overall response rate of 37.2% (34.5% in Moldova; 52.3% in Belarus; 24.2% in Armenia). Most dentists in the three countries correctly identified tobacco (83.8–98.2%) and prior oral cancer lesions (84.0–96.3%) as risk factors for oral cancer. Most dentists correctly identified leukoplakia as a lesion with malignant potential (68.7% in Moldova; 88.5% in Belarus; 69.9% in Armenia), while erythroplakia was identified by much fewer in all three countries. Less than 52% of dentists identified the tongue, rim of tongue, and floor of mouth as the most common sites for oral cancer. The mean knowledge score for all countries combined was 7.5 ± 2.7. The most commonly reported barriers to perform oral mucosal examination were lack of training, knowledge, and experience. Conclusions This study highlights the need for improved oral cancer-related education and training on oral mucosal examination for dentists in Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia. Such skills are essential to enhance oral cancer prevention and to improve the prognostic outcome by early detection.

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Workshop: Impact of nutrition on non-communicable chronic diseases: a global perspective

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.195 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

Global Perspective ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Global Health Research ◽

Special Focus ◽

Related Risk ◽

The Impact

Abstract Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) represent a public health issue due to their profound impact on population health. Major NCDs risk factors, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes, represent a threat of gigantic proportion, while intervention to prevent NCDs remains of paramount importance in order to decrease their burden over the next decades. Among others, quality of diets has changed substantially and a global shift to unhealthy diet high in calories and highly processed foods mainly due to the rapid urbanisation, increasing incomes, and inadequate accessibility of nutritious foods has been observed. As the burden of NCDs across the worlds remains unacceptably high, the international policy framework should aim to develop evidence-based policy approaches to reduce such burden globally. In this context, the EUPHA Sections on Food and Nutrition and on Chronic Diseases aim to propose a joint workshop to provide the latest updates from leading scientists and experts involved in global health research, with a special focus on NCDs and nutrition-related risk factors. The objectives of the present workshop are the following: To quantify the burden and temporal trends of non-communicable chronic diseases risk factors (such as obesity, elevated blood pressure and diabetes) all around the globe, with a focus on European countries; To assess the impact of nutrition-related risk factors on non-communicable chronic diseases; To explore socio-economic and cultural correlates to dietary changes in developed and developing countries; To discuss the usage of instruments aimed to identify best practices in food policies to prevent junk food consumption. Organizing the present workshop would provide an important occasion for gathering experts in the field and sharing opinions with the audience in light of the presented results. All publication discussed have been published recently, others are ongoing projects, thus providing a unique opportunity to discuss about potential advocacy activities and policy approaches in the context of a EUPHA conference. Key messages The workshop will provide insights on the current burden of NCDs risk factors. The workshop will focus on dietary risk factors, their socio-economic determinants, and strategies to implement a healthy and sustainable diet globally.

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