Dental Hygienists and Dentists as Providers of Oral Mucosa Screening and Brush Biopsies

In 2007, The World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a resolution to prevent oral cancer. The resolution urged the member states to ensure that measures against oral cancer was integrated into a national cancer control program by engaging and train dental personnel in screening, early diagnosis and treatment. Oral cancer is a severe oral health issue as it is potentially fatal and is the 5-6 most common tumor with approximately 275,000 cases for oral and 130,300 cases for pharyngeal cancers, excluding nasopharynx, globally. In Sweden,1000 new cases yearly is discovered and it is increasing. The explanation is an aging population and an increase in tonsil and tongue cancers caused by HPV, especially in younger subjects. This is due to changing sexual habits. Tumors caused by tobacco and alcohol are constant. Despite the decreasing prevalence of smoking and certain smoking-associated cancers, an increased incidence of tonsillar cancer has been seen in both Finland and Sweden. High risk HPV (hrHPV) oral cancer is also increasing.