Dentaltown April 2015 - (Page 30)

oral cancer feature ORAL CANCER:Screening Stop Assuming & Start by Alison Stahl, RDH, BS Interprofessional collaboration for optimal patient health and wellness has never been more important, especially with advancements related to electronic health records. With so many specialties, whole-body health is often fragmented by speciﬁc body systems and therefore, for better or worse, the roles and responsibilities of providers are intertwined. Recently I saw my physician for a routine physical. The nurse checked my vitals, height and weight, and made sure my medication list on ﬁle was up to date. The nurse also asked if I had any speciﬁc concerns for the doctor. The physician listened to my heart and lungs, pressed on my abdomen, palpated my thyroid and asked me to say "ahh." The visit concluded with a ﬂu shot and an order for routine blood work. This sounds like a fairly typical exam from a family practitioner, right? Before leaving, I asked the doctor if there was a reason he didn't check more of the lymph nodes of my head and neck, or examine my back for suspicious moles. He replied that he would have if I mentioned a concern, but knew from my medical history responses that I see a dentist and dermatologist regularly. He said, "Those providers are checking these structures for abnormalities." I thought, "Are they?" The last time I visited the dermatologist, she addressed the one concern and did no other screening beyond the face. I don't know about you, but I can't see my own back well 30 APRIL 2015 // dentaltown.com enough to know if I should be concerned about any moles there. Thankfully, my dentist and hygienist perform a comprehensive head and neck exam. But my question to other dental providers is, "Do you screen?" Or do you, like my physician, assume that if a person sees another health-care provider, that he or she is doing the comprehensive extraoral and intraoral exams? Detection and prevention Helping our patients achieve a beautiful smile goes well beyond aesthetics and oral hygiene. Oral cancer is dentistry's cancer, and the suffering endured by our patients who face this disease is often debilitating. We can make a difference by actively engaging our patients during our routine exams-educating them about current risk factors, trends and healthy lifestyles, and teaching self-examination. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, one person dies from oral cancer every hour of every day. "When found at early stages of development, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate."1 But we must look be looking and feeling for abnormalities in order to detect it! The high morbidity rate of 43 percent at ﬁve years is primarily attributed to the cancer's late stage at the time of diagnosis. Dental professionals have an opportunity to change these statistics by screening all patients and also teaching them how to do self-exams. Continued on p. 32 http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown April 2015

On Dentaltown.com
HOWARD SPEAKS: When Staff Members Lose Hope
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY: Recommendations Refl ect You
Continuing Education Update
Industry News
Poll
Lateral Incisor Placement with CEREC
Oral Cancer: Stop Assuming and Start Screening
CE: Removal of Hemangioma, Fibroma and Performing a Frenectomy
Braces V. Aligners: As Technology Evolves So Do Patient Choices
Malpractice: Changing the Way We Practice
Treatment Planning for Implants in the Maxillary Edentulous Patient
You Should Know: Molar Media Mount
Collecting Trauma Pictures for a Lecture
A Progressive Treatment for the Over-Flared, Over-Prepared Endodontically Treated Tooth
New Products
Creating a Safe, Effective X-ray Practice
SmartBox: Marketing Prodigy Masters Patient Attraction
Facebook Updates and the Impact on Your Dental Practice
Improve a Dental Practice’s Fiscal Health by Proactively Managing A/R Days
Pennsylvania Doc Balances Professionalism and Humor
Ad Index
Product Profile: Ivoclar Vivadent
Perspectives: Being a Female Dentist in Yemen
Products in Practice: DENTSPLY
ULTRASONICS SHOWCASE
Ready, Set, Know: Making the Most of Your Dentrix Investment
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown April 2015