As part of the check-up, your dentist probably screens you for oral cancer. Right? I know mine does. But apparently, some dentists aren't performing these checks as thoroughly as they should. It's not their fault, though, according to the article -- they're not given proper training, and don't really know what to look for. But seeing as dentists spend about a gazillion years in school, I'd like to think that cancer screening is on the curriculum. It is, after all, a matter of life and death. They also aren't too clear on the top risk factors for oral cancer -- smoking and alcohol. Come on, even I know those.What do you think? Do you trust your dentist when it comes to oral cancer, or has the article scared you?
1. As a dental student, I feel that we get enough education on the types of pathologies that we might encounter. Any abnormalities that we see in the mouth when we screen patients, we always would confer to faculty and if we feel that a biospy is needed we would perform it. It is also taught in school that smoking and alcohol are risks for many oral cancers, and not just oral cancer.
And we don't spend a gazillion years in school. We only spend four more than the usual.
Posted at 12:16AM on Jun 10th 2007 by J.Inc