The chairside guide was released on Monday prior to the FDI World Dental Congress, which is taking place in the Argentine capital from 5 to 8 September. It highlights the most common risk factors for oral cancer and underlines the importance of early diagnosis and treatment by providing practical solutions for the care pathway. It provides oral health professionals with concise, yet comprehensive, information about oral cancer prevention, risk factors and management, and helps them navigate the clinical examination and diagnosis through a decision tree. It focuses on the most common sites of oral cancer: the tongue, the insides of the cheeks, and the floor of the mouth.

“FDI recognizes that oral health professionals play an essential role in combatting oral cancer,” said FDI President Dr. Kathryn Kell. “Oral cancer is among the ten most common cancers worldwide, but oral health professionals can help diminish its effects through early detection and swift treatment action.”

Survival rates for oral cancer can be improved through early detection. Therefore, it is essential that oral health professionals such as dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists understand the importance of conducting a thorough oral screening examination for malignant and potentially malignant lesions as part of their routine clinical assessments, even in younger populations considered at lower risk for oral cancer. The chairside guide encourages and facilitates the integration of this examination into routine dental checkups.

Dr. Marzia Massignani, Senior Manager of Scientific Affairs and Corporate Communications at Sunstar, added: “At Sunstar, we constantly investigate the power of a holistic approach to health to prevent and treat life-threatening conditions as early as possible. This chairside guide is a great example of a tool that supports health professionals in their daily patient screenings. Dental checkups can be the perfect setting for early detection of several diseases, providing a central prevention role to dental professionals.”

“About 500,000 new cases of oral and oropharyngeal cancers are diagnosed annually, three-quarters of which occur in the developing world,” explained Prof. Ihsane Ben Yahya, FDI Council member and oral cancer expert. “FDI is committed to reducing the oral disease burden and improving oral health outcomes worldwide. By developing an informative tool to prevent, promptly detect and treat oral cancer, we have acted in line with our mission to lead the world to optimal oral health.”

The guide can be downloaded from the FDI website.

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