How to Discuss Periodontal Disease & Lung/Colon Cancer with Patients

Hygienist with young male patient
When patients usually think of cancer in a dental setting, the initial thought is oral cancer. As a hygienist, I incorporate an intraoral cancer screening on every patient, examining the tissues of the oral cavity and looking for anything abnormal. Occasionally, a patient will comment, “Doesn’t oral cancer only happen when you use tobacco?” This is an opportunity to educate the patient on the many risk factors of oral cancer outside of tobacco use, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), alcohol consumption, etc.

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