I recently saw a friend of mine who has been in the dental industry for over three decades. Our conversation quickly turned heavy as she shared that her father had just been diagnosed with Stage 4 Oral Cancer.

What’s most upsetting is that this diagnosis could have come sooner. He had been to the dentist and dental hygienist 'regularly' for years.  Last August, he pointed out the sore in his mouth and it was dismissed as a sore from his denture. I don’t know the office involved, and she is currently navigating a very difficult path seeking answers and resolution. But this heartbreaking situation led to a powerful conversation—and a reminder I wanted to share with you today.

How thorough are we with our Oral Cancer Screenings?

It’s a question worth sitting with.

• Are you regularly performing Oral Cancer Screenings?
• Who else is going to look in our clients’ mouths if it isn't us?
• Do you follow a systematic approach so that no area is missed?
• Do you have an understanding and are you discussing the link between HPV and Oral/Oropharyngeal Cancer with your clients and patients?
• Are you confident in what you’re looking for?
• Do you know how to clearly explain the process to your clients and patients?
• Do you promote self-screening at home, and do you have tools or resources to share with them?
• Do you use any adjunctive screening tools in your practice?
• Do you recommend the HPV vaccination (Gardasil)?
• Do you bring the DDS in to evaluate suspicious areas and re-evaluate 2 weeks later—and refer out when necessary?
• Are you documenting in the client’s chart that you performed an Oral Cancer Screening?

If this is an area you’d like to grow in—whether it’s building confidence, knowledge, or refining your approach—we have a very special in-person workshop coming up at rdhu. We have a couple of teams coming together for this day, which we just love to see.  Once the whole team is on board, you are elevating the care your patients receive regardless of which clinician they will be seeing.

The Ultimate Experiential Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer Specialized Workshop

with Jo-Anne Jones, RDH

Friday, April 11

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

In-Person at rdhu (Burlington, ON)

6 CE Hours

Special Pricing: $159 (Regularly $259)

Thanks to the generous support of Merck, VELscope, and Oral Science

Only a few spots remain!

If you’re interested but unable to attend this session, reach out—we’d be happy to add you to the waiting list for future dates. For those who live too far from rdhu to attend this particular day,  we have some additional resources that could help.  Click here to access the HPV Talking Points pre-recorded webinar as a start. It is a 1 hour free CE webinar, as well.

Let’s stay committed to early detection, empowered conversations, and supporting one another in providing the best care possible.

Thank you for your support and reading! Please take a look through our website for upcoming Live Streaming Courses, Events, Free Webinars, Hands-on Courses, Career Postings and our Partner Specials. You will also find easy access to your Payment Centre and your Personal Portal!

Warm regards,

Kathleen

Kathleen Bokrossy, RDH, BSc ~ Founder | President