Role of the dentist in early detection of oral cancer

Aims: The aim of the study is to appraise the awareness levels among dentists of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) regarding oral cancer. Materials and Methods: A survey based on questionnaire was done to evaluate the acquaintance levels regarding oral cancer among the dentists working in the governmental and private dental clinic, Riyadh city, KSA. Results: Majority of the patients were male (57.9%, n = 117), most were working in private clinics (57.4%, n = 116), graduated within 15 years (2003-2018) (89.1%, n = 180), and general practitioners (78.7%, n = 159). The variation between knowledge and age, gender, year of graduation, and specialty (P > 0.05) among dentists was insignificant. Conclusion: For early detection of oral cancers, dentists have a vital role as they are the persons who see and observe oral cavity during routine dental checkups and can help identify suspicious lesions before having any symptoms.