CANCER PREVENTION IN THE DENTAL PRACTICE - ORAL-CANCER SCREENING AND TOBACCO CESSATION ADVICE

Objectives: In this paper we describe the proportion of US adults who report receiving oral cancer screening and tobacco cessation counselin g and assistance from dentists and other health professionals. Methods : Data from the 1992 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Cancer Co ntrol Supplement, a nationally representative sample of 12,035 adults 18 years of age and older, are analyzed. Results: In 1992, less than 1 0 percent of adults reported oral cancer screening by a dentist or hyg ienist within the past three years. White adults (10.1%; 95% Cl=9.3, 1 0.9) reported an oral cancer screening three times more frequently tha n black (3.2%; 95% Cl=1.9, 4.5) or Hispanic (3.4%; 95% Cl=2.1, 4.7) ad ults. About half of adult current smokers had seen a dentist within 12 months, and of those only 24.1 percent (95% Cl=21.7, 26.5) had been a dvised to quit smoking. Heavy smokers (two or more packs a day) were m ore likely to have been advised to quit than light (pack or less per d ay) or occasional smokers. A similar proportion (24.3%; 95% Cl=17.6, 3 1.0) of white adult men who reported using smokeless tobacco products had been told by a dentist to quit using tobacco. Conclusions: Results from this population-based survey indicate that cancer screening and tobacco cessation advice are underutilized in the dental practice. Inc reased patient awareness and implementation of screening and tobacco c essation interventions could improve oral cancer incidence and mortali ty and have a public health benefit for other tobacco-related morbidit y and mortality as well.