Oral cancer: knowledge, practices, and attitudes of dentists and oral hygienists in Portugal

Objectives: To assess the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of dentists and oral hygienists regarding oral cancer in Portugal. Methods: Data were collected between January and March 2021 through online questionnaires, which were voluntary and confidential. Descriptive statistics were applied using the IBM SPSS Satistics (R) 26. Results: 272 responses were considered valid, 178 from dentists and 94 from oral hygienists. More than 50% of professionals considered their knowledge and ability to diagnose oral cancer and potentially malignant lesions `reasonable.' Even so, more than 90% said it was important to have additional training. Regarding dentists, 35.4% had already performed a biopsy, and only 14% admitted that this was their clinical approach when faced with a suspicious lesion. On the other hand, oral hygienists promoted more smoking and alcohol cessation sessions. Regarding the objective examination, 58.5% of oral hygienists and 60.7% of dentists reported performing the extraoral examination, with palpation of the head and neck lymph nodes. Conclusions: Although some gaps were detected, most oral health professionals have correct theoretical knowledge. Differences were identified in the clinical practice of dentists and oral hygienists in Portugal. Rigorous examination of the oral cavity and risk assessment can lead to early prevention and detection of oral cancer. Health professionals play a key role in preventing this disease and should enlighten their patients about the etiological factors involved in the onset and progression of cancer. (Rev Port Estomatol Med Dent Cir Maxilofac. Carolina Pinto;63(4):221-228)