Knowledge and Attitudes of Primary Health Care Dentists Regarding Oral Cancer in Brazil

• Published in: Acta stomatologica croatica Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 55 - 63
• Main Authors: Leonel, Augusto César Leal da Silva, Soares, Caio Belém Rodrigues Barros, Lisboa de Castro, Jurema Freire, Bonan, Paulo Rogério Ferreti, Ramos-Perez, Flávia Maria de Moraes, Perez, Danyel Elias da Cruz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Croatia University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine, and Croatian Dental Society - Croatian Medical Association 01-03-2019; University of Zagreb. School of Dental Medicine
• Subjects: Dentists; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Mouth Neoplasms; Original Scientific Papers; Primary Health Care; Mouth Neoplasms; Primary Health Care; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Dentists
• ISSN: 0001-7019; 1846-0410
• DOI: 10.15644/asc53/1/6

The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of dentists working in Primary Health Care Units from a Brazilian city, regarding oral cancer.
A prospective, cross-sectional, epidemiologic survey was performed. Seventy-one dentists from Primary Health Care Units were contacted at their workplace, and participated of the study. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire of 31 multiple-choice questions addressing the main clinical features and risk factors for oral cancer. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: questions related to general data and self-perception of the participants regarding personal knowledge of oral cancer, and objective questions related to general information on oral cancer (clinical features, characteristics, traits, and risk factors). The data were tabulated and analyzed by descriptive statistics.
Participants were mostly females (81.5%), less than 40 years of age (57.7%), who underwent training 10-20 years ago (47.9%). Most respondents (66.2%) considered their level of knowledge about oral cancer to be satisfactory. However, only 26.8% of tem felt that they were able to carry out diagnostic procedures for oral cancer. Most of them (95.8%) were interested in participating in training courses on Oral Diagnostics; 56.3% of them reported not having received any training or guidance on how to conduct an examination to detect oral cancer during undergraduate training.
These findings are consistent with previous reports and point to the need for new public policies to enable early diagnosis of oral cancer and a review of training in Oral Diagnostics in dental schools.