Promoting Oral Cancer Examinations to Primary Care Providers

Patients at risk of developing oral and/or oropharyngeal cancer are more likely to see primary care providers (physicians, physician assistants, or advanced practice registered nurses) than dentists. Many primary care providers do not regularly perform oral cancer examinations. Opportunistic annual nonsymptomatic oral cancer examinations by trained primary care providers may result in consistent early detection of this disease at an early stage, which could result in lower treatment morbidity and mortality. This study's purpose was to determine the effects of a web-based educational intervention targeting primary care providers regarding their short-term knowledge and frequency of conducting oral cancer examinations on their patients.

Autorentext

Alvin G. Wee, DDS, PhD, MPH practices Maxillofacial Prosthodontics at the Veteran's Administration in Omaha, Nebraska, and has taught dentistry for 17 years. With federal grant funding and authorship of 70+ peer-reviewed publications, he lectures worldwide on such aspects of dentistry as early cancer detection, sleep apnea, and color/esthetics.