DENTAL TRIBUNE Middle East & Africa Edition Media CME medical community if oral cancer is to be brought down in the future from its undeserved high ranking as a killer.1 DT 8. 7 such as dysplasia or full malignancy. A pathologist examines the cells to determine the final diagnosis. A lab report is then sent to the dentist, and experts from the pathology department provide patient-specific follow-up guidance by telephone for every abnormal OralCDx report. Fig. 4a: Close-up of the tongue in normal light. References 1 2 The Oral Cancer Foundation 2007; www.oralcancerfounda tion.org. Inside Dentistry—The Forgotten Disease “Oral Cancer: Early Detection and Prevention” Nelson L. Rhodus, DMD, MPH; January 2007; Vol 3, No 1. Chaturvedi, Anil K., Engels, Eric A., Anderson, William F., Gillison, Maura L.; Incidence Trends for Human Papillomavirus — Related and Unrelated Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas in the United States; Journal of Clinical Oncology; February 1, 2008; Vol. 26, No. 4. University of Texas Cancer Center; Oral Cancer M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; www.mdander son.org/diseases/oralcancer. Baker, Gerry I.: Radiation Therapy to Head and Neck, Dental Hygiene News, Fall 1991, Vol. 4 No. 4, p 1, 2. Oral Cancer Risk and Detection: The Importance of Screening Technology; Lynch, Denis P. DDS Ph.D; www.ineedce.com/ pathology.html. John C. Kois, DMD, MSD, and Edmond Truelove, DDS, MSD; Detecting Oral Cancer: A New Technique and Case Reports, Dentistry Today, 2006, Oct; 25(10):94, 96–7. 9. “Oral cytology revisited”; R. Mehrotra, M. Hullmann, R. Smeets, T. E. Reichert, O. Driemel; Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine Volume 38, Issue 2, Date: February 2009, Pages: 161–166. “Improving Detection of Precancerous and Cancerous Oral Lesions: Computer-Assisted Analysis of the Oral Brush Biopsy”; James J. Sciubba, D.M.D., PH.D.; and for the U.S. Collaborative OralCDx Study Group (JAMA) Journal of the American Dental Association 1999;130:1445–1457. A final word The American Dental Association states that 60 percent of the U.S. population sees a dentist every year. One only has to look at the impact of the annual PAP smear for cervical cancer, the mammogram to check for breast cancer, or PSA and digital rectal exam for prostate cancer to see how effectively an aware and involved public can contribute to early detection, when coupled with a motivated medical community. The dental community needs to incorporate adjunctive technology to the screening process and assume the same leadership role as the 3. About the author Arlene Guagliano, RDH, MS, is an associate professor at Farmingdale State College in the department of dental hygiene and an assistant professor at Hostos Community College in the dental hygiene unit. Her professional experience includes 29 years in clinical practice specializing in geriatric dental care, oral cancer screening for early detection, dental hygiene education, caries management and periodontics. She can be reached at arlene.guagliano@farmingdale. edu, or via phone at (516) 6800231. Fig. 4b: Tongue close-up with the VELscope showing in situ carcinoma that was confirmed by biopsy. 4. 5. 6. 7. Fig. 5: The OralCDx BrushTest. This procedure is simple and can be done right in the dentist’s chair. It results in very little or no pain or bleeding, and requires no topical or local anesthetic. Firm pressure with a circular brush is applied to the suspicious area. The brush is then rotated five to 10 times, causing some pinpoint bleeding or light abrasion. The cellular material picked up by the brush is transferred to a glass slide, preserved and dried. The slide is then mailed to a laboratory along with written documentation about the patient and a detailed description of the questionable area of the mouth. At the laboratory, the sample will be examined for cells that show signs of change, MEDIA CME Self-Instruction Program Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa in collaboration with CAPP introduce to the market the new project mCME - Self Instruction Program. mCME gives you the opportunity to have a quick and easy way to meet your continuing education needs. mCME offers you the flexibility to work at your own pace through the material from any location at any time. The content is international, drawn from the upper echelon of dental medicine, but also presents a regional outlook in terms of perspective and subject matter. How can professionals enroll? They can either sign up for a one-year (10 exercises) by subscription for the magazine for one year ($65) or pay ($20) per article. After the payment, participants will receive their membership number and will be able to attend to the program. How to earn CME credits? Once the reader attends the distance-learning program, he/she can earn credits in three easy steps: 1. Read the articles. 2. Take the exercises 3. Fill in the Questionnaire and Submit the answers by Fax (+971 4 36868883) or Email :info@cappmea.com After submission of the answers, (name and membership number must be included for processing) they will receive the Certificate with unique ID Number within 48 to 72hours. Articles and Questionnaires will be available in the website after the publication. www.cappmea.com