Oral Cancer Knowledge,Attitudes and Practices among Primary Oral Health Care Dentists in Kuwait

Background: Oral cancer signifies a public health concern of international importance. Early detection of oral cancercan improve the prognosis and the 5-year survival rate. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the level of oralcancer knowledge, opinion, attitudes and practices among dentists working at the primary oral health care centers inKuwait. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, self-reported questionnaire was distributed to the dentists working atthe primary oral health care centers in Kuwait. A total of 289 dentists participated in the present study. The questionnaireincluded 23- questions on oral cancer knowledge, opinion, attitudes and practices. Results: The mean age of the dentistswas 35.2 ± 10.9 years. Approximately, all dentists (99.7%) were aware of the major risk factors that were most likelyassociated with oral cancer. Overall, majority of the participants knew the most common form of oral cancer (80.6%),most common site (80.3%) and the likely lesions associated with oral cancer occurrence (87.9%). A large number ofdental practitioners (81%) would routinely refer a patient with a suspicious lesion to a specialist. Nearly one-third (32%)reviewed their patients’ oral cancer risk factors. Approximately two-thirds (62%) assessed the use of tobacco in theirpractice. Almost, all (92.4%) were interested in attending continuing education courses on oral cancer. Conclusions:Majority of the participants presented good knowledge about various aspects of oral cancer. More continuing educationprograms on risk factors and diagnosis of oral cancer should be organized to train the dentists. Oral cancer screeningshould be a routine procedure for the high risk patients at the primary oral health care centers in Kuwait.