Aydın, Ülkem Başkent Üniversitesi - Dişhekimliği Fakültesi - Ağız, Diş ve Çene Radyolojisi Anabilim Dalı, Turkey

Patients’ oral cancer awareness and perceptions of oral cancer screening with afluorescence visualization device

37722

Objectives: To assess dental patients’ oral cancer awareness, and attitudes and preferences towards having a screening with a fluorescence visualization device. Materials and Methods: In this crosssectional, descriptive study, a questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was administered to 50 dental patients aged eighteen and over. The first part of the questionnaire included questions about the socio-demographic features of the patients; the causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer. After informing all the participants about the method, patients who accepted to do so, were examined using the fluorescence visualization device. The second part of the questionnaire included questions on attitues and preferences towards oral cancer screening. Frequency distribution test was used in statistical analysis. Results: Fourty-four percent of the study participants had never heard of oral cancer. Smoking was the most frequently identified cause and sore in the mouth was the most frequently identified symptom. Only eight percent of the study participants had heard of oral cancer screening with a fluorescence visualization device. Eighty-four percent of the participants accepted to have a screening. Patients would accept to be scheduled for follow-up (96%), or biopsy (84%) if a suspected lesion is detected. Conclusions: Patients seem generally unaware of oral cancer and oral cancer screening but attitudes to screening were positive. We need to use this information to increase oral cancer awareness and to facilitate early detection.

117

Oral cancer , screening , fluorescence

Cumhuriyet Dental Journal

128