A Guide for Dental Practitioners of Common Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy in the oral cavity and typically arises from a group of precancerous lesions known as oral potentially malignant disorders.Types of studies reviewed: A comprehensive review of literature was completed by searching the PubMed electronic database using a combination of search terms: oral potentially malignant disorders, leukoplakia, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, erythroplakia, oral lichen planus, actinic cheilitis, smokeless tobacco keratosis, oral submucous fibrosis and palatal lesions associated with reverse smoking.Results: Oral leukoplakia, proliferative leukoplakia, erythroleukoplakia and submucous fibrosis are the lesions highly associated with the development of oral cancer. Many cases of leukoplakia may not show dysplasia on biopsy, but molecular studies suggest that they already harbor mutations and as such should be evaluated and managed as a precancerous lesion. Risk factors beyond smoking and tobacco, such as immunosuppression, history of cancer and others, are reviewed.Conclusion: Dentists may be the first to encounter such lesions and therefore play an important role in diagnosing and managing these conditions.Practical implications: The goal of this review is to provide an updated and simple reference for dentists to guide them in lesion identification, diagnosis and, in some cases, treatment.