Epidemiology, aetiology, and clinical aspects of oral cancer and premalignant lesions

Since oral cancer can be considered to be a relatively rare disease, dental practitioners will only rarely be confronted with it. Nevertheless, dental practitioners have a key role to play in the early diagnosis and referral to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The major part of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, recognizable during routine oral inspection. Early referral is essential since treatment of small, not yet metastasized cancers have the best chance of long-term disease-free survival. Moreover, oral carcinoma is often preceded by white and/or red pre-malignant lesions of the salivary glands. These can similarly be detected by routine inspection. Here too, dentists play an important role in recognizing such diseases and referring patients to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.