ORAL CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM & FORMS
INtroduction
Welcome to the Oral Cancer Screening Form Program, which is dedicated to helping dental healthcare professionals in screening patients for oral cancer. Early detection is the key to better treatment, outcomes and survival with oral cancer. This program provides products developed for dental healthcare professionals to use in the oral cancer screening process. These products are another way of risk management for dentists and hygienists when confronted with a lesion in a patient’s mouth or on their face. These forms may serve as an adjunct to what you are currently using in your dental office. Document the Oral Cancer Examination (OCE) each time you perform it by using a form specific to that process. Once the examination is complete, place it in the patient’s chart or scan it into the electronic health record. Always be able to prove that an Oral Cancer Examination was done. Document-Document-Document cannot be overemphasized when a lesion has been discovered!
The Significance of Early Detection = Early Detection Saves Lives
With early detection and timely treatment, deaths from oral cancer could be dramatically reduced.
Close to 58,500 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. Of those 58,500 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years. (Approximately 57%)
Early detection of oral cancer is often possible. Tissue changes in the mouth that might signal the beginnings of cancer often can be seen and felt easily.
Oral cancer can be readily diagnosed but the death rate from this type of cancer is high because it is often discovered late in its development, generally when it has spread to another location like the lymph nodes of the neck. At this stage the prognosis can be significantly worse.
Rule of 2’s: “Any lump, hump, bump or spot present for 2 weeks or more needs to be checked out”
NOTE: THIS PROGRAM IS A “ONE TIME” PURCHASE FOR YOUR PRACTICE LIFETIME!
Course objectives
- Disclaimer
- OCSF Forms
- Headlines
- The Big 3
- Defending Dental Malpractice Claims
- Rule of 2’s
- Leukoplakia
- Epithelial Dysplasia
- Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Risk Factors
- Symptoms
- TNM System
- Grading
- Explanation of the Nine OCSF Forms
- Links
- Useful Resources
Rule of 2’s: “Any lump, hump, bump or spot present for 2 weeks or more needs to be checked out”
NOTE: THIS PROGRAM IS A “ONE TIME” PURCHASE FOR YOUR PRACTICE LIFETIME!
These documents you can download for use in your practice are:
- Oral Cancer Risk Assessment Form
- Oral Cancer Examination 40-point checklist
- Oral Cancer Screening Consent Form
- Oral Lesion Referral Form
- Oral Cavity Examination Chart
- Tongue Examination Chart
- Oral Lesion Biopsy Checklist
- Biopsy Discussion with Patient
- Failed Appointment for Biopsy
