Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can prevent HPV-related illness and associated cancers, including oropharyngeal. The safety and efficacy of HPV vaccination has been well-established, but national HPV vaccination rates remain unacceptably low with persistent disparities for certain...

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Main Authors: Megan Cloidt, Sarah Vivo, Aubree Thelen, Shillpa Naavaal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Journal of the California Dental Association
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19424396.2025.2460754
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author Megan Cloidt
Sarah Vivo
Aubree Thelen
Shillpa Naavaal
author_facet Megan Cloidt
Sarah Vivo
Aubree Thelen
Shillpa Naavaal
author_sort Megan Cloidt
collection DOAJ
description Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can prevent HPV-related illness and associated cancers, including oropharyngeal. The safety and efficacy of HPV vaccination has been well-established, but national HPV vaccination rates remain unacceptably low with persistent disparities for certain populations. While vaccination has been one of the biggest public health accomplishments of the last century, vaccine hesitancy continues to grow in the United States, and remains a challenging element of low HPV vaccine uptake.Description Oral health providers have been traditionally siloed and largely uninvolved in vaccination counseling and administration, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought oral health providers, pharmacists and other allied professions together to join in disease prevention efforts. Over 70% of oropharyngeal cancer cases are caused by HPV, placing oral health providers in a unique and critical ethical position to join in HPV prevention efforts by recommending the HPV vaccine to patients and directly administering the vaccine when appropriate. This discussion aims to (1) educate oral health providers about HPV and oropharyngeal cancer, (2) provide concrete strategies and resources for incorporating HPV prevention into clinical dental practice, and (3) discuss the challenges of patient vaccine hesitancy and opportunities for patient education.
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spelling doaj-art-0ec06002cee14c17868c2465ed2a0d082025-08-20T03:22:00ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of the California Dental Association1942-43962025-12-0153110.1080/19424396.2025.2460754Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental SettingMegan Cloidt0Sarah Vivo1Aubree Thelen2Shillpa Naavaal3Department of Dentistry/OMFS, Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USAAdolescent Program, Indiana Immunization Coalition, Indiana, USANational Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, American Cancer Society, Chicago, Illinois, USADepartment of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USABackground Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can prevent HPV-related illness and associated cancers, including oropharyngeal. The safety and efficacy of HPV vaccination has been well-established, but national HPV vaccination rates remain unacceptably low with persistent disparities for certain populations. While vaccination has been one of the biggest public health accomplishments of the last century, vaccine hesitancy continues to grow in the United States, and remains a challenging element of low HPV vaccine uptake.Description Oral health providers have been traditionally siloed and largely uninvolved in vaccination counseling and administration, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought oral health providers, pharmacists and other allied professions together to join in disease prevention efforts. Over 70% of oropharyngeal cancer cases are caused by HPV, placing oral health providers in a unique and critical ethical position to join in HPV prevention efforts by recommending the HPV vaccine to patients and directly administering the vaccine when appropriate. This discussion aims to (1) educate oral health providers about HPV and oropharyngeal cancer, (2) provide concrete strategies and resources for incorporating HPV prevention into clinical dental practice, and (3) discuss the challenges of patient vaccine hesitancy and opportunities for patient education.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19424396.2025.2460754Human papillomavirusHPVcancer preventionoropharyngeal cancercervical cancervaccine hesitancy
spellingShingle Megan Cloidt
Sarah Vivo
Aubree Thelen
Shillpa Naavaal
Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting
Journal of the California Dental Association
Human papillomavirus
HPV
cancer prevention
oropharyngeal cancer
cervical cancer
vaccine hesitancy
title Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting
title_full Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting
title_fullStr Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting
title_full_unstemmed Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting
title_short Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting
title_sort role of oral health providers in supporting hpv related cancer prevention in the dental setting
topic Human papillomavirus
HPV
cancer prevention
oropharyngeal cancer
cervical cancer
vaccine hesitancy
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19424396.2025.2460754
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