4 minute read
Oral Cancer Screening: Easier than It Sounds
By Steve Neidlinger, CAE, Pennsylvania AGD executive director
The kindest gestures are the ones that do not require reciprocation. An oral cancer screening is one of those gestures and can be offered by AGD and its constituents. Conducting an oral cancer screening event in your AGD constituent is the perfect opportunity to educate your community about the important services that dental offices provide, and your efforts could result in a life saved.
Pennsylvania AGD conducted an oral cancer screening event at the Pennsylvania Capitol Building in Harrisburg in May 2024. The screening was supported by the AGD Foundation and Henry Schein Cares and was held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania AGD MasterTrack meeting. Seven doctors took time away from their practices to check Capitol employees for suspicious lesions and other signs of cancer.
While the prospect of logistical planning for an event like this may be intimidating, the execution is not nearly as difficult as one might expect.
1. Secure a location. Pick an event or location near where there will be a medium to large number of your member doctors in one place. Pennsylvania AGD chose the Capitol, but local minor league sporting events, state or county fairs, and large employers are all potential screening locations.
2. Secure the supplies. The screening required minimal supplies, primarily tongue depressors, gauze, personal protective equipment, disinfectant, etc. Pennsylvania AGD requested the supplies through Henry Schein Cares, and the entire process only took about two weeks from application to shipment. Most dental suppliers have a philanthropic arm that can address supply requests. All other supplies unavailable through Henry Schein Cares, like portable patient chairs, were purchased using a grant from the AGD Foundation.
3. Prepare the documentation. Prepare yourself for all possible outcomes through proper documentation. Have a local referral source for oral surgeons in the area if a potential cancerous lesion is detected. Have forms for the screening doctor that identify areas of concern so the patient can take it to their regular dentist. Have a referral list of local AGD members if the patient does not have a regular dentist. Have informed consent forms acknowledging that this is a brief screening and should not be confused with a thorough examination.
4. Get the doctors. Depending on your location and the number of potential patients, you only need three or four per shift. For those constituents with live MasterTrack or leadership meetings, I recommend holding your screening event in conjunction with that meeting. It is the best way to ensure that your best doctors are all in one place.
5. Hold the event. Be prepared, but also be prepared to improvise. Our prescreening mailings turned out to be unnecessary, as we did much better with walk-ins. We also went door to door and hand-delivered goodie bags (also donated by Henry Schein Cares) during slow times, and we saw many of the recipients shortly after for screenings.
AGD members are elite at what they do. Their pursuit of excellence in dentistry separates them from their colleagues, and an event like an oral cancer screening allows you to show why a general dentist who commits themselves to optimal practice potential through education is vital to the communities you serve. I encourage all AGD constituents to search for opportunities to conduct oral cancer screenings as regular events.
For forms or recommendations about screenings, please contact me at steve@pennagd.org.
