Oral Cancer Screening Habits Performed by Registered Dental Hygienists

The purpose of this study was to assess if registered dental hygienists perform thorough and complete extraoral and intraoral assessments for cancer detection through the use of palpation techniques, visualization and adjunctive screening devices. Our goal was to assess if these exams are being performed routinely and thoroughly, and if not, what possible barriers to regular exams may exist. This study will determine if registered dental hygienists perform thorough and complete extra oral and intra oral assessments for cancer detection. If there is a lack of performance of extra oral and intra oral assessments, it is essential to determine the barriers that are preventing the hygienist from performing them. This information will be generalizable to all RDH’s