Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study
<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Dentists play a very important part in the early identification of oral cancer lesions. This aspect of dental practice depends on the knowledge acquired during the faculty years. The aim of this study was to assess dental students’ and residents’ levels...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Medicina |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/58/6/806 |
| _version_ | 1827658625235025920 |
|---|---|
| author | Alice Murariu Elena-Raluca Baciu Livia Bobu Diana Diaconu-Popa Irina Zetu Gabriela Gelețu Roxana-Ionela Vasluianu Loredana Hurjui |
| author_facet | Alice Murariu Elena-Raluca Baciu Livia Bobu Diana Diaconu-Popa Irina Zetu Gabriela Gelețu Roxana-Ionela Vasluianu Loredana Hurjui |
| author_sort | Alice Murariu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background and Objectives:</i> Dentists play a very important part in the early identification of oral cancer lesions. This aspect of dental practice depends on the knowledge acquired during the faculty years. The aim of this study was to assess dental students’ and residents’ levels of awareness in terms of oral cancer. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Dental Medicine within the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi, on a sample of 197 students in the fourth and the fifth years and first year residents in general dentistry. To assess their knowledge, a questionnaire was created containing 22 questions about the risk factors for oral cancer, with a focus on HPV infection. <i>Results:</i> Most participants correctly identified smoking, alcohol, and the HPV infection as risk factors and leukoplakia and erythroplasia as potentially malignant lesions. At the opposite site, aspects considered as unsatisfactory focused on the palpation of lymphatic nodules, a procedure largely carried out by 41.6% of the fourth year students, the counseling only of the patients at risk performed by 59.7% of residents, the lack of knowledge about the prevention of oral cancer through anti-HPV immunization found in 39.7% of the fifth year students. Other incorrect answers focused on other types of suspicious lesions, such as actinic cheilitis, as well as certain areas in the oral cavity subject to the frequent onset of oral cancer, such as buccal mucosa. <i>Conclusions:</i> Although the fifth year students and residents have better knowledge than the fourth year students, the gaps in terms of knowledge and practice encountered in all three categories of participants require a reevaluation of the academic curriculum and the focus on the building of the skills necessary for the correct screening of oral cancer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:06:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5ff1db131a34215866e9706b5255e42 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1010-660X 1648-9144 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:06:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5ff1db131a34215866e9706b5255e422023-11-23T17:52:54ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442022-06-0158680610.3390/medicina58060806Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional StudyAlice Murariu0Elena-Raluca Baciu1Livia Bobu2Diana Diaconu-Popa3Irina Zetu4Gabriela Gelețu5Roxana-Ionela Vasluianu6Loredana Hurjui7Department of Surgicals, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Implantology, Removable Prostheses, Dental Technology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Surgicals, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Implantology, Removable Prostheses, Dental Technology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Surgicals, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Surgicals, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Implantology, Removable Prostheses, Dental Technology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Morpho-Functional Sciences II, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, Romania<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Dentists play a very important part in the early identification of oral cancer lesions. This aspect of dental practice depends on the knowledge acquired during the faculty years. The aim of this study was to assess dental students’ and residents’ levels of awareness in terms of oral cancer. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Dental Medicine within the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi, on a sample of 197 students in the fourth and the fifth years and first year residents in general dentistry. To assess their knowledge, a questionnaire was created containing 22 questions about the risk factors for oral cancer, with a focus on HPV infection. <i>Results:</i> Most participants correctly identified smoking, alcohol, and the HPV infection as risk factors and leukoplakia and erythroplasia as potentially malignant lesions. At the opposite site, aspects considered as unsatisfactory focused on the palpation of lymphatic nodules, a procedure largely carried out by 41.6% of the fourth year students, the counseling only of the patients at risk performed by 59.7% of residents, the lack of knowledge about the prevention of oral cancer through anti-HPV immunization found in 39.7% of the fifth year students. Other incorrect answers focused on other types of suspicious lesions, such as actinic cheilitis, as well as certain areas in the oral cavity subject to the frequent onset of oral cancer, such as buccal mucosa. <i>Conclusions:</i> Although the fifth year students and residents have better knowledge than the fourth year students, the gaps in terms of knowledge and practice encountered in all three categories of participants require a reevaluation of the academic curriculum and the focus on the building of the skills necessary for the correct screening of oral cancer.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/58/6/806oral cancerHPVknowledgepracticedental studentsresidents |
| spellingShingle | Alice Murariu Elena-Raluca Baciu Livia Bobu Diana Diaconu-Popa Irina Zetu Gabriela Gelețu Roxana-Ionela Vasluianu Loredana Hurjui Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study Medicina oral cancer HPV knowledge practice dental students residents |
| title | Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Oral Cancer and HPV Infection among Dental Students and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | knowledge practice and awareness of oral cancer and hpv infection among dental students and residents a cross sectional study |
| topic | oral cancer HPV knowledge practice dental students residents |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/58/6/806 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alicemurariu knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy AT elenaralucabaciu knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy AT liviabobu knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy AT dianadiaconupopa knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy AT irinazetu knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy AT gabrielageletu knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy AT roxanaionelavasluianu knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy AT loredanahurjui knowledgepracticeandawarenessoforalcancerandhpvinfectionamongdentalstudentsandresidentsacrosssectionalstudy |