Behavior Modification, Dentists and Oral Cancer Control

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The hypothesis for this proposal is that the professional behavior of dentists can be modified by strengthening continuing education in oral cancer through a focus on prevention and early detection. The long-range goals are to increase the number of dentists who counsel at-risk patients about tobacco cessation, consistent with Healthy People 2010 objective 3-10c; and to increase the proportion of oral cancers detected at the earliest stage, consistent with Healthy People 2010 objective 21-6. Our project focuses on oral cancer prevention education for practicing dentists in the United States. Key components of oral cancer prevention include risk assessment and risk reduction for tobacco and alcohol use, chemoprevention, early detection and diagnosis. Based on these key components, a standardized continuing education course has been developed and will be presented within each of the ten U.S. Department of Health and Human Service regions. Outcomes assessment methodology has been designed and will be implemented. Prevention and early detection are the focus of this project because despite advances in oral cancer treatment, only about half of all persons diagnosed with oral cancer survive more than five years. Data indicate that the majority of at-risk Americans does not benefit from oral cancer screening from their primary care professionals. Survival rates for those with oral cancer has not significantly changed in the past 20 years, and it has worsened for African American males. The first activity for this fiveyear proposal is a workshop to standardize a continuing education program, with input from oral cancer and tobacco cessation experts and an ADA ad hoe advisory committee. A second workshop will be scheduled to complete the continuing education program, facilitate course coordinator calibration and finalize the outcomes assessment process. Continuing education programs will be conducted nationwide and learning outcomes will be assessed over the fiveyear period. This project will also explore potential for use of the standardized continuing education program for other health care professionals, e.g., dental hygienists, nurse practitioners and primary care physicians.