title: Oral Cancer Knowledge and Diagnostic Ability Among Dental Students.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence the diagnostic ability of dental students with regards to oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders. Dental students at different levels of study were directly interviewed to examine their oral cancer knowledge and diagnostic ability using a validated and pre-tested survey instrument containing validated clinical images of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders. An oral cancer knowledge scale (0 to 31) was generated from correct responses on oral cancer general knowledge, and a diagnostic ability scale (0 to 100) was generated from correct selections of suspicious oral lesions. Knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 27 (mean 10.1 ± 6.0); mean knowledge scores increased with year of study; 5th year students had the highest mean knowledge score (19.1 ± 4.0), while 1st year students had the lowest (5.6 ± 3.5). Diagnostic ability scores increased with year of study and ranged from 0 to 88.5 % (mean 41.8 % ± 15.6). The ability to recognize suspicious oral lesions was significantly correlated with knowledge about oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders (r = 0.28; P < 0.001). There is a need to improve oral cancer education curricula; increasing students' contact with patients who have oral lesions including oral cancer will help to improve their future diagnostic ability and early detection practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman, PO Box 11942, Jordan. yazan_hasoneh@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hassona
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Health-General Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scully
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abu Tarboush
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman, PO Box 11942, Jordan.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Baqain
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, The University of Jordan Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, The University of Jordan Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hawamdeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman, PO Box 11942, Jordan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sawair
mesh_terms: D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cancer; Dental education; Early detection; Oral; Potentially malignant; Screening