Introduction Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia are post-Soviet countries with a high rate of heavy smokers and a relatively high age-standardized incidence of oral cancer. However, to our knowledge, there is lack of available information on dentists’ knowledge on prevention of oral cancer in the countries in question. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, opinions, and practices related to oral cancer prevention and oral mucosal examination among dentists in Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia. Methods This was a multi-country, cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 3534 dentists (797 in Chisinau, Moldova, 1349 in Minsk, Belarus, and 1388 in Yerevan, Armenia). Dentists' knowledge about risk factors for oral cancer development and its clinical picture, current practices and opinions with regard to oral mucosal screening and oral cancer prevention, and their consistency to perform oral mucosal examination were assessed. A knowledge score ranging from 0 to 14 points was generated based on each dentist’s answer to the questionnaire. Results A total of 1316 dentists responded, achieving an overall response rate of 37.2% (34.5% in Moldova; 52.3% in Belarus; 24.2% in Armenia). Most dentists in the three countries correctly identified tobacco (83.8–98.2%) and prior oral cancer lesions (84.0–96.3%) as risk factors for oral cancer. Most dentists correctly identified leukoplakia as a lesion with malignant potential (68.7% in Moldova; 88.5% in Belarus; 69.9% in Armenia), while erythroplakia was identified by much fewer in all three countries. Less than 52% of dentists identified the tongue, rim of tongue, and floor of mouth as the most common sites for oral cancer. The mean knowledge score for all countries combined was 7.5 ± 2.7. The most commonly reported barriers to perform oral mucosal examination were lack of training, knowledge, and experience. Conclusions This study highlights the need for improved oral cancer-related education and training on oral mucosal examination for dentists in Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia. Such skills are essential to enhance oral cancer prevention and to improve the prognostic outcome by early detection.
Oral lichen planus is a chronic, mucocutaneous condition with an unidentified etiology. Women between the ages of 30 and 60 are most affected. The incidence rate for the entire population is 1-2%. Bilateral lesions are typically whitish, sometimes ulcerated. The importance of this condition is related to the frequency of occurrence, the clinical resemblance to other diseases of the mucosa, sometimes with persistent pain and the possible relationship with squamous cell carcinoma. There are several hypotheses regarding the etiology of these diseases, they include: the genetic factor, infectious, psychogenic and autoimmune. The diagnosis of oral plan lichen is made on the basis of clinical and morphopathological examination where information on changes in tissue and cells is obtained.
In the Republic of Moldova, fluorosis is a major medical and social problem. We have several endemic areas, where the population suffers from dental fluorosis. The population is not informed about this disease, does not know what are the methods of prevention and treatment, suffering from dysfunctional, aesthetic and social adaptation problems. Minimally invasive methods of treating dental fluorosis have been studied and applied in practice to patients. It has been found that minimally invasive treatment methods are a good solution in combating this pathology and offer patients a better adaptation in society.
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