Every dentist knows that it is our responsibility to examine our patients for oral cancer and communicate our findings, even if there are no suspicious lesions or abnormalities. For most of us, oral cancer screenings are routine parts of every day. We are not necessarily the person who will provide a definitive diagnosis or treatment, but we may play an important role in a patient’s experience of diagnosis to treatment.

The following are a few important pointers about oral cancer screenings:

• Let your patient know you are doing an oral cancer screening before you do it. Some patients have never had one.
• Talk to the patient as you are completing the oral cancer screening, including educating them about any screening device or procedure you may be using.
• If a suspicious area is found, be sure to let them know what you’ve found and what the next steps will be while maintaining a calm, professional and empathetic demeanor.
• If you will be referring the patient to a specialist, let the patient know you will be communicating openly your concern(s) and that you will keep them in the communication loop at all times.

After the Referral

If your patient has been referred to a specialist and there is an oral cancer diagnosis, how do you stay involved in the process?

Many questions will likely surface, and your patient will need someone to talk to. You don’t need to know the answers; you just need to be willing to listen.

Being an excellent listener, an advocate for the patient, a responsible and ethical clinician, and someone who is knowledgeable and prudent in providing care to anyone with any type of cancer will not only reflect on your professionalism, it will also reflect on your character as a human being and our profession as a whole.

Don Deems, DDS, FAGD, PCC, known as The Dentist’s Coach®, is a trained professional, personal and business coach, and a practicing dentist.