Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Dentists nationwide offer free oral cancer screenings April was Oral Cancer Aware- ness Month, and thanks to the efforts of the American Dental Association (ADA), the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) and hundreds of ordinary dentists throughout the country, patients everywhere were able to get screened for the life- threatening disease. In all, more than 1,250 practices across the nation registered their screening events with the OCF. Although many dentists per- form oral cancer screenings as a routine part of examinations, the ADA encouraged dentists to per- form community outreach during the week of April 11–15 to pro- vide free oral cancer screenings to people who might not regularly visit a dentist, according to ADA spokesperson Sol Silverman, DDS, a professor of oral medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “Early detection is critical in increasing survival rates for patients who have developed an oral cancer, and recognizing and managing precancerous lesions is extremely important in preven- tion,” Silverman said. One practice, the Gentle Dental Group, with offices throughout of Florida, uses the VELScope Oral Cancer Screening System as a tool in detection of the disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Admin- istration and Health Canada recently cleared the VELscope System for assisting dentists and hygienists in discovering cancer- ous and precancerous growths that may not be apparent to the naked eye. With the VELscope System, a dental professional can screen for oral cancer in one to two minutes during a conventional examina- tion or during a common proce- dure such as teeth whitening. Dr. Neal Ziegler, chief dental officer of the Gentle Dental Group, says his practice has always con- ducted annual comprehensive oral cancer screening as part of the routine dental exam. He said that oral cancer is typically discovered in the late stages of development, when the five-year survival rate is only 22 percent. “By detecting potential prob- lems earlier, we’ll be providing our patients with the best defense against oral cancer currently avail- able,” Ziegler said. “Gentle Dental Group is deeply committed to pro- viding the best dental care avail- able for its patients, including the latest technology and techniques.” Brian Hill, the executive direc- tor of OCF and an oral cancer sur- vivor, also stressed the importance of early detection and the impor- tant role that dentists play. “Early detection is important because it reduces treatment- related morbidity and improves survival rates,” Hill said. In 2010, the National Cancer Institute estimated that approxi- mately 36,540 people were diag- nosed with oral cancer and approximately 7,880 people died of oral cancer. The National Insti- tute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) estimates that the five-year survival rate for peo- ple diagnosed early, when the dis- ease has not spread beyond the original location, is approximately 83 percent compared to a 20 per- cent survival rate for those who were diagnosed when the cancer has spread to other organs. This year, approximately 37,000 Americans will be newly diag- nosed with oral cancer, and one person will die every hour of every day from this disease, according to the OCF. HPV16, one of about 130 versions of the virus, is now the leading cause of oral cancer, and is found in about 60 percent of newly diagnosed patients, the OCF reports. In 2010, The Journal of the American Dental Association published “Evidence-based Clini- cal Recommendations Regarding Screening for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas,” which was devel- oped by an expert panel convened by the ADA Council on Scien- tific Affairs. The panel’s report concluded that clinicians should remain alert for signs of poten- tially cancerous lesions while per- forming routine visual and tactile examinations in all patients dur- ing dental appointments. Risk factors for mouth and throat cancers include tobacco use, heavy consumption of alco- hol, particularly when they are used together, as well as infection with the human papillomavirus, which is better known as HPV. “In a painless, three- to five- minute oral cancer screening, most of the signs and symptoms of oral cancer can be seen with the naked eye, felt with the fingers or elucidated during the patient’s oral history interview,” said Dr. Ross Kerr, an oral medicine spe- cialist at New York University Col- lege of Dentistry. More information is available online, at www.oralcancer.org. DT News DENTAL TRIBUNE | May 20114A for assistance from MCW in refurbishing the laboratory, Sarita stated, “In 1984 it was decided to shift the dental laboratory of the Muhimbili Hospital to the dental school. Bought in the ’60s, the equipment was already old and outmoded.” William Van Vort of Henry Schein’s Zahn Dental division assisted in the unpacking of the donated equipment and laboratory supplies and its installation. The university delivered a newly painted, electrified and air-conditioned lab, outfitted with new benches built by Tanzanian crafts- people in accordance with the drawings pro- vided by Norman Weinstock, chairman of Zahn Dental, a division of Henry Schein, and a vet- eran in the dental laboratory industry. Wein- stock assisted MCW with its needs assessment at MUHAS. MCW shares the vision of MUHAS and the Ministry of Health leadership for the dental school’s laboratory to serve as Tanzania’s National Dental Laboratory and become a center of excellence for the region, and to provide dental appliances and prosthetics to all of Tanzania as well as surrounding countries. MCW was founded in 1999 with the vision: “Local change through global exchange,” and its mission is to empower youth to become positive agents of change in their communities by giving them the tools, con- fidence and networks to pursue entrepre- neurial projects in their communities. Based in New York City, MCW serves youth through leadership training, commu- nity center and oral health-care programs and partner initiatives (genocide preven- tion). DT (Source: Miracle Corners of the World) f DT page 3A A patient receives dental treatment at a clinic in Tanza- nia. Thanks to the efforts of Miracle Corners of the World, care will be enhanced with the establishment of a state-of- the-art dental lab. (Photo/Provided by Miracle Corners of the World) The VELscope Enhanced Oral Assessment System, manufactured by LED Dental, is one device that can be used to screen patients for oral cancer. (Photo/LED Dental) By Fred Michmershuizen, Online Editor