Oral cancer screenings part of dental school awareness campaigns

The WVU School of Dentistry Department of Diagnostic Sciences recently volunteered at the Vandalia-Con community health fair in Monongalia County.

A number of students and faculty members Dr. Juan Bugeuno and Dr. Hiba Qari spent the day raising awareness about oral cancer and nicotine products which include smoking, chewing tobacco and e-cigs.

"It is important for our students and school to be involved in public awareness campaigns like this to provide a network to our community and educate them on the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of cancer", Qari, an oral pathologist, said.

Taking dental students out of the classroom and into the community can create opportunities for greater understanding that culture, lifestyles and behaviors can profoundly influence the prevalence of health, illness and oral disease in a population," said Bugueno, an oral medicine expert. "These type of activities can help develop students who have a broader concept of their role as health care providers in the context of the community."

The dental school volunteers shared information on the risk factors, prevalence, high-risk sites for cancer and clinical features of the disease.

Photos of the event are on our smugmug page. 

Students and faculty fully support the ADA recommendation that oral cancer screenings should be part of a routine oral health examination.

Other services at the health fair, a fundraiser for Bonnie’s Bus Mobile Mammography Program, included tobacco cessation, wellness screenings, flu shots and STI testing.

The diagnostic sciences department at the dental school accepts CBCT referrals.