Method: Nine hundred and ninety nine randomly selected general dentists were mailed a questionnaire. The questionnaire queried practitioners’ opinions and perceptions of oral mucosal screening and referral practices and their beliefs regarding detection and prevention of oral cancer.
Result: A total of n=640 individuals responded, yielding a response rate of 70.2%. Data were analysed using chi square tests. Most Australian dentists routinely perform oral mucosal screening. Dentists who had graduated less than 10 years ago were more likely to target screening (49.4%) than those who had graduated more than 10 years ago (37.6%) (p<0.05). Lack of training, confidence, time and financial incentives were seen as barriers to performing mucosal screening to at least some degree by participants in this study. Lack of training was perceived as the most prevalent barrier to oral mucosal screening by 44.2% of participants. Most dentists manage referrals for oral mucosal pathology appropriately, and most believe in following up with referred patients (89.0%). Most participants referred solely to a specialist in either oral medicine, oral pathology or oral surgery (77.7%), while others reported that they referred to a variety of specialists (21.3%). Most participants felt that they should deliver smoking cessation advice to patients (69.4%), yet only about half of participants believed that they could influence a patient to quit smoking (56.7%).
Conclusion: Australian dentists place importance on oral mucosal screening. Changes to dental education and training could be made to further improve confidence and ability of dentists in detecting and referring oral mucosal pathology.