Malignant and Potentially Malignant oral Lesions: Level of Knowledge of Dentists and Dental Students

Abstract

Introduction: Oral cancer is a public health problem in many countries. However, it is a disease that is preventable because of its well-established association with certain risk factors that can be easily identified by health care professionals during the clinical evaluation of patients. Objective: To analyze the knowledge (real and perceived) that dentists and dental students have regarding the diagnosis of and risk factors for malignant and potentially malignant oral lesions. Method: Data were collected with a previously validated questionnaire, adapted for use in this study, including questions designed to collect sociodemographic data and information about the level of knowledge of potentially malignant oral lesions and oral cancer. According to the score, the level of knowledge was categorized as follows: A (excellent); B (good); C (satisfactory); and D (poor). Results: A total of 292 individuals completed the questionnaire. Most (48.97%) of the respondents were between 20 and 29 years of age, and the majority (62.0%) were female. Younger participants, students, and recent graduates displayed the best knowledge of oral cancer (p=0.000). The clinical aspect that was most commonly associated with oral cancer (by 76.4% of the respondents) was leukoplakia. although 85.4% of the respondents reported being up to date on the topic of oral cancer, only 12.7% had an a level of knowledge. Conclusion: Overall, the level of knowledge of potentially malignant oral lesions and oral cancer was low. However, younger respondents, students, and recent graduates displayed better knowledge of the topic.