title: Dental practitioner's knowledge, opinions and methods of management of oral premalignancy and malignancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study outlines the results of a pilot study to determine the knowledge and awareness of a cohort of dentists in United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding aetiology, clinical features and appropriate early management of oral premalignant and malignant lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire was constructed and posted to 300 UAE Dental Practitoners (DPs), selected randomly from the register of Emirates Dental Association. The present report details the responses of this cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  182 questionnaires were completed and returned (response rate 60.6%). One hundred and twenty-seven (69.8%) of the responding dentists were male and the median age of the DPs was 40 years (range 24-75 years). The majority (84%) practised or had practised in or around Dubai and Sharjah, 75% had graduated from a dental school after 1980. Eighty-two respondents (45.0%) had attended specific courses on premalignant or malignant oral lesions. During their undergraduate training 70% of DPs had witnessed more than 10 patients with oral SCC. Only 60.4% of respondents indicated that the tobacco and alcohol use were the principle causes of oral SCC while 19.7% suggested that HIV disease was a risk factor for oral SCC. 29% of DPs routinely recorded the tobacco or alcohol use of their patients and only 3.8% offered advice to patients regarding modification of these habits. Eight-three percent of the respondents suggested that clinical screening was an effective means of reducing the frequency of premalignant and malignant oral lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In view of the gradual rise in oral malignancy worldwide there is an increased need for DPs to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of oral malignancy and premalignancy, provide appropriate preventive advice and be aware of the appropriate early management of patients with such oral lesions.
authors: College of Dentistry, Surgical Sciences Department, Ajman University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Abdullah Jaber
keywords: Dental practitioners; Knowledge; Malignancy; Premalignancy
references: Oral Dis. 1999 Jan;5(1):10-4
references: 10218035
references: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1996 Oct;5(10):769-77
references: 8896887
references: Oral Dis. 2006 Mar;12(2):194-9
references: 16476043
references: Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1992 Aug;30(4):210-3
references: 1510895
references: Br Dent J. 2005 Jun 11;198(11):681-4
references: 15951773
references: Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2006 Dec;102(6):758-64
references: 17138178
references: Int J Cancer. 1998 Jul 29;77(3):333-6
references: 9663591
references: Br Dent J. 2006 Jan 28;200(2):85-9
references: 16444223
references: J Am Dent Assoc. 1995 Jan;126(1):53-60
references: 7822646
references: J Am Dent Assoc. 2001 Nov;132 Suppl:7S-11S
references: 11803655
references: J Am Dent Assoc. 1975 Jun;90(6):1262-4
references: 1095626
references: J Can Dent Assoc. 1989 Mar;55(3):209-14
references: 2647247
references: Oral Oncol. 1997 Sep;33(5):302-12
references: 9415327
references: Community Dent Health. 1995 Mar;12(1):3-7
references: 7697560
references: Oral Oncol. 1999 Mar;35(2):151-6
references: 10435149
references: J Clin Nurs. 2009 Mar;18(6):799-806
references: 18298505
references: Br Dent J. 2003 Sep 13;195(5):277-81; discussion 263
references: 12973333
references: Prog Clin Biol Res. 1982;83:163-74
references: 7088976
references: Cancer Causes Control. 2001 Sep;12(7):579-87
references: 11552705
references: J Am Dent Assoc. 1980 Mar;100(3):362-5
references: 6153395
references: Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2005 Feb;38(1):21-35, vii
references: 15649496
references: Oral Oncol. 2001 Jul;37(5):401-18
references: 11377229
references: Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1998 Dec;36(6):479-80
references: 9881795
references: IARC Sci Publ. 1990;(103):149-56
references: 2279792
references: Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2006 Apr-Jun;7(2):195-200
references: 16839210
references: FDI World. 1998;7(2):22-6
references: 10023214
references: Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1990 Mar;69(3):325-30
references: 2179801
references: Br Dent J. 1997 Nov 22;183(10):359-64
references: 9419942
references: Cancer. 1984 Feb 1;53(3):563-8
references: 6537892
references: J Cancer Educ. 1992;7(2):139-46
references: 1419578
references: Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 1995 Mar;79(3):321-9
references: 7621010
references: Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 1998 Apr;85(4):444-6
references: 9574954
references: J Cancer Educ. 1988;3(2):127-34
references: 3275229
references: Public Health Rep. 1990 Mar-Apr;105(2):196-201
references: 2108467
references: BMC Med Educ. 2007 Nov 15;7:44
references: 18005417
references: Community Dent Health. 1993 Jun;10 Suppl 1:31-41
references: 8402306
references: Cancer Causes Control. 1994 May;5(3):259-65
references: 8061175
references: Semin Oncol. 1990 Aug;17(4):391-401
references: 2201085
references: Br J Addict. 1990 Sep;85(9):1097-8; discussion 1099-106
references: 2224189
references: Br Dent J. 2007 Sep 8;203(5):E10; discussion 248-9
references: 17632458
references: Cancer. 1989 Aug 15;64(4):932-5
references: 2743284
references: Br J Cancer. 1996 Mar;73(6):805-8
references: 8611385
references: Oral Dis. 2003 Jan;9(1):41-5
references: 12617257
references: Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1991 Sep;72(3):326-31
references: 1923420
references: Oral Dis. 2000 Mar;6(2):65-74
references: 10702782
references: Am Fam Physician. 1991 Feb;43(2):560-8
references: 1990739
references: Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1991 Jul;72(1):35-41
references: 1891243
references: J Am Dent Assoc. 2006 Dec;137(12):1692-8; quiz 1730-1
references: 17138714