Oral lesions in patients participating in an oral examination screening week at an urban dental school

Background. Dental education must emphasize early diagnosis and management of oral mucosal disease, including early detection of oral premalignant lesions and cancer. The authors evaluated clinical findings of oral screening examinations of dental patients during a one-week period in an urban dental school clinic. Methods. Third- and fourth-year dental students conducted clinical screening examinations for all dental patients of record seen during the Yul Brynner Foundation's Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week in April 2006. Results. Of 262 patients, 100 (38.2 percent) reported that they had used tobacco for a mean of 8.1 years. Most patients reported having denture or tooth and gingival problems. The dental students reported abnormal findings in 55 patients (21 percent). Two patients had suspected premalignant lesions that were diagnosed as lichen planus and traumatic keratosis. Conclusions and Clinical Implications. The one-week screening provided an educational opportunity for the dental students, and the results demonstrate the value of having a focused week to reinforce the importance of head and neck and oral soft-tissue examination. The finding of mucosal lesions in 21 percent of patients of record reflects the fact that lesions were present but undetected. In addition, there are important implications for teaching and patient care. The screening week provided an opportunity for students to be active in a national campaign for cancer detection, and it represents an opportunity for visible community participation in the recognition of oral mucosal diseases in dental training programs and broadly for the profession.