Background The incidence of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related oral cancer has recently increased worldwide. The role of dentists is of prime importance in the early detection of oral cancer which would result in a favourable outcome for the patients. The aim of the current study was to assess the knowledge, awareness and attitudes of dental students, interns and postgraduate maxillofacial residents at the University of Jordan (UJ) to different aspects of oral cancer, particularly those related to HPV. Methods A paper-based survey was conducted at UJ among all pre-clinical dental students (pre-clinical group), clinical dental students, interns and postgraduate maxillofacial residents (clinical group). The survey included five sections comprising 29 items. The sections included questions investigating oral cancer knowledge, oral cancer screening, HPV knowledge and the ability to discuss personal topics with patients. Results A total of 376 respondents out of 1052 potential participants completed at least one item of the survey (study coverage of 35.7%). Among the study participants, the pre-clinical group represented 41.2% ( n = 155) and the clinical group represented 58.8% ( n = 221). The majority of participants in the clinical group showed better knowledge on oral cancer potential anatomic sites, clinical presentation and possible risk factors compared to the pre-clinical group. Most participants in the clinical group ( n = 195, 88.2%) correctly identified HPV as a risk factor for oral cancer development. The majority of participants in the clinical group displayed suitable attitude towards oral cancer screening despite their desire for a reliable screening device and additional training in oral cancer screening. A number of limitations in basic knowledge about HPV was noticed among participants in the clinical group particularly related to unawareness of the vaccine availability. The majority of participants in the clinical group displayed hesitancy in discussing personal topics with the patients, including the history of previous sexually transmitted infections and sexual abuse. Conclusions Gaps in knowledge regarding HPV-related oral cancer has been detected which necessitate intervention measures including curricular changes, training workshops and awareness campaigns. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12903-019-0864-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundThe etiology of periodontitis remains unclear, as is the place of gingivitis in its pathophysiology. A few studies linked the colonization by oral parasites (Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax) to periodontal disease and its severity. The aim of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of these oral parasites among healthy individuals, and in patients with gingivitis and periodontitis in Jordan.MethodsThe study was conducted during July 2019–December 2019. Samples were composed of saliva and periodontal material including dental plaque sampled with probes. The detection of oral parasites was done using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR).ResultsThe total number of study participants was 237: healthy (n=94), gingivitis (n=53) and periodontitis (n=90). The prevalence of E. gingivalis was 88.9% among the periodontitis patients, 84.9% among the gingivitis patients and 47.9% in the healthy group. For T. tenax, the prevalence was 25.6% among the periodontitis patients, 5.7% among the gingivitis patients and 3.2% in the heathy group. Positivity for E. gingivalis was significantly correlated with the presence of periodontal disease compared to the healthy group with odds ratio (OR) of 6.6. Periodontal disease was also correlated with lower monthly income (OR=8.2), lack of dental care (OR=4.8), and history of diabetes mellitus (OR=4.5). Colonization by E. gingivalis was correlated with gingivitis (OR=6.1) compared to the healthy group. Colonization by E. gingivalis and T. tenax were significantly correlated with periodontitis (OR=6.4 for E. gingivalis, and OR=4.7, for T. tenax) compared to the healthy group. T. tenax was only detected among individuals with generalized periodontal disease compared to its total absence among those with localized disease (19.6% vs. 0.0%; p=0.039). The co-infection rate by the two oral parasites was 11.0%.ConclusionsThe higher prevalence of human oral parasites in periodontal disease compared to healthy individuals appears to be more than a mere marker for the disease and might also be associated with disease severity and potential for progression. Thus, the dogmatic view of E. gingivalis and T. tenax as commensals needs to be re-evaluated and their contribution to pathophysiology of periodontal diseases cannot be neglected.

Background: The field of oncology is among the highest productive fields in medicine, with the highest impact journals. The impact of open access (OA) journals is still understudied in the field of oncology. In this study, we aim to study the open-access status of oncology journals and the impact of the open-access status on journal indices.Methods: We collected data on the included journals from Scopus Source List on 1 st of November 2018.We filtered the list for oncology journals for the years from 2011 to 2017. OA journals covered by Scopus are indicated as OA if the journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and/or the Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources (ROAD).Results: There were 318 oncology journals compared to 260 in 2011, an increase by about 24.2%, and the percentage of OA journals has increased from 19.6% to 23.9%. Although non-OA journals have significantly higher scholarly output (P=0.001), percent cited and source normalized impact per paper (SNIP) were higher for OA journals.Conclusions: Publishing in oncology OA journals will yield more impact, in term of citations, and will reach boarder audience.

Background: Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is an important cause of cancer-related mortality. Early detection of OPC results in a favorable prognosis and higher survival rates. Infection by high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for OPC with an upward trend globally. Medical students' knowledge and awareness of HPV-related OPC can be crucial in the preventive efforts.Aim: To assess HPV knowledge among medical students at the University of Jordan, with particular focus on its relation to different cancers.Methods: This paper-based survey study was conducted in November 2019. The survey items were based on previously validated surveys used to evaluate HPV-related OPC knowledge among dental students and professionals. To assess HPV knowledge and students' confidence in personal history taking and physical examination, we developed a knowledge and confidence scores that showed acceptable reliability.Results: The total number of participants was 1198 students, with a median age of 21 and female predominance (n = 697, 58.2%). Among the participants, 93.3% heard of HPV prior to this survey (n = 1118). Higher levels of knowledge regarding cervical cancer, OPC and HPV vaccination was seen among clinical students compared to their preclinical counterparts, but their overall HPV knowledge was low. Only 18.4% and 21.0% of the clinical students correctly identified the association of HPV with penile and oropharyngeal cancers, respectively. Additionally, 34.5% of the clinical students were not aware of the availability of HPV vaccines. The majority of students (92.0%) reported that the university courses were their major source of knowledge about HPV. Conclusion:A profound lack of knowledge regarding HPV role in OPC was found among medical students. This insufficiency included several aspects of the virus and its associated diseases. Such gaps in knowledge could have negative consequences in early detection and prevention of OPC and should be addressed by evaluation of the current curriculum.Ayat Al-Haidar, Hajar Ettarras, and Dania Jaafreh have contributed equally to this work.