title: The importance of screening edentulous patients for oral cancer.
abstract: A study of the dental status of 947 patients with oral cancer was conducted to determine how dentists might gain better access to patients in whom this disease develops. This access could lead to earlier diagnosis and thereby improve the prognosis. Dental profiles revealed that 68% of the patients were partially or totally edentulous, 14% had neglected teeth, and the remaining 18% had intact dentitions. The mean age of patients was 61.7 years. Efforts should be made to promote the recall of edentulous patients. This may facilitate an earlier discovery of many oral cancers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, Pa.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guggenheimer
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000150:complications*; D009819:Office Visits; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012308:Risk Management; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors