Awareness of General Dental Practitioners about Oral Screening and Biopsy Procedures in Udaipur, India

Purpose: Oral cancer presents with high mortality rates, and the likelihood of survival is remarkably better when detected early. The present study aimed to assess the awareness of general dental practitioners (GDPs) about oral screening and biopsy procedures in Udaipur, India. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 83 GDPs were surveyed using a self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of several mandatory and optional questions. The data were analysed and frequency distribution was performed. Results: Most of the GDPs adequately performed complete oral cavity examinations and were aware of suspicious oral lesions, most common sites and risk factors for oral pre-cancer/cancer, but did not inquire about patients' tobacco/ alcohol consumption habits. Half of them referred lesions requiring biopsy to a specialist/higher centre rather than performing biopsies themselves, even after recognising the importance of biopsy as a diagnostic tool due to concerns of inadequate experience and instruments required. Varied results regarding selection of the appropriate site for biopsy and preservation of biopsied specimens were noted. Conclusion: Most of the GDPs were adequately aware of oral screening and biopsy procedures but felt reluctant to perform them, which suggests that dental education programmes are needed for GDPs in oral pre-cancer/cancer detection as well as screening and diagnostic procedures. Keywords: biopsy, general dental practitioners, oral cancer, questionnaire, screening