Importance of early detection in continuing dental education

Oral cancer is still among the underestimated cancers. The majority of affected persons still diagnosed at an advanced tumor stage. This requires extensive surgical treatment, leads to functional impairment and visible treatment consequences, and has a negative impact on prognosis. Early diagnosis requires an adequate level of knowledge within the relevant professional healthcare groups. Especially for oral cancer and its precursor lesions, the 6-monthly check-ups provided by the German statutory health insurance system may support a systematic opportunistic screening. The well-structured and established recall systems in the field of dentistry offer a very good option for examining a large number of patients. However, there is no obligatory documentation of the inspection of the oral mucosa. Therefore, it is not possible from a scientific point of view to measure the effectiveness of this type of screening. Moreover, studies involving dental colleagues in private practice are still very rare. Since dentists are among the most important contact persons for patients, they should have adequate skills for early detection of cancer. Studies have generally shown a good level of knowledge, but also potential for improvement. Specifically, the assessment of mucosal lesions is a demanding challenge for many colleagues. However, studies have shown that targeted structured further education programs lasting several months may help to overcome uncertainties. Therefore, it is recommended to offer area-wide target group-oriented programs over longer periods of time that address prevailing uncertainties and, thus, provide concrete support.