April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Dentists are the first line of defense against oral cancer, and screening is an important part of the general patient visit. In many cases, screening a patient can lead to detection of oral cancer in its early stages. The death rate associated with oral cancer is particularly high, not because it is hard to discover or diagnose but because it is routinely discovered late in its development.

Dentists are critical in raising awareness of this disease and are in a lifesaving position of improving the oral health of their patients and the public through early diagnosis. Dentist awareness, knowledge of risk factors, head and neck exams, and interviews for diagnosis and referral are the most effective tools for prevention of oral cancer and its recurrence, which are our ultimate goals. 

As part of its mission to raise oral cancer awareness, the AGD Foundation will make oral cancer screenings available Friday, June 11, during AGD2021 at the Austin Convention Center for scientific session attendees and at the Fairmont Austin Hotel for hotel employees. If you plan to attend the conference, we invite you to visit the Foundation's booth, No. 115, to learn more about how you can get involved in raising awareness of the importance of oral screenings in your communities. You can register for AGD2021 here.