Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background. The incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is in the top 10 of all cancer entities. Regular oral examinations by dentists play an important role in oral cancer prevention. Methods. Patients with OSCC (n=1,607) and physicians (n=1,489) completed questionnaires during the DÖSAK R...

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Main Authors: Simon Spalthoff, Henrik Holtmann, Gertrud Krüskemper, Rüdiger Zimmerer, Jörg Handschel, Nils-Claudius Gellrich, Philipp Jehn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:International Journal of Dentistry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/9638345
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author Simon Spalthoff
Henrik Holtmann
Gertrud Krüskemper
Rüdiger Zimmerer
Jörg Handschel
Nils-Claudius Gellrich
Philipp Jehn
author_facet Simon Spalthoff
Henrik Holtmann
Gertrud Krüskemper
Rüdiger Zimmerer
Jörg Handschel
Nils-Claudius Gellrich
Philipp Jehn
author_sort Simon Spalthoff
collection DOAJ
description Background. The incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is in the top 10 of all cancer entities. Regular oral examinations by dentists play an important role in oral cancer prevention. Methods. Patients with OSCC (n=1,607) and physicians (n=1,489) completed questionnaires during the DÖSAK Rehab Study. The psychosocial and functional factors collected in these questionnaires were assessed in the present study. We compared patients who visited their dentist at least once a year (group A) with those who visited their dentist less than once a year (group B). Results. Patients in group A had significantly better health-related quality of life after tumor treatment than patients in group B. Patients in group A also had a smaller tumor size and less lymph node metastasis and lost fewer teeth during the treatment. This resulted in better prosthetic rehabilitation and better psychological status after tumor treatment. Conclusions. Dentists play an important role in the early recognition of oral cancer. This study should encourage dentists to take a more active role in oral cancer prevention.
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series International Journal of Dentistry
spelling doaj-art-149a3c777fb74ee0a895d8f614ef617e2025-08-20T03:54:29ZengWileyInternational Journal of Dentistry1687-87281687-87362017-01-01201710.1155/2017/96383459638345Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell CarcinomaSimon Spalthoff0Henrik Holtmann1Gertrud Krüskemper2Rüdiger Zimmerer3Jörg Handschel4Nils-Claudius Gellrich5Philipp Jehn6Department of Cranio and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Cranio and Maxillofacial Surgery, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, GermanyDepartment of Medical Psychology, Ruhr University of Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, Building MA 0/145, 44780 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Cranio and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Cranio and Maxillofacial Surgery, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, GermanyDepartment of Cranio and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Cranio and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, GermanyBackground. The incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is in the top 10 of all cancer entities. Regular oral examinations by dentists play an important role in oral cancer prevention. Methods. Patients with OSCC (n=1,607) and physicians (n=1,489) completed questionnaires during the DÖSAK Rehab Study. The psychosocial and functional factors collected in these questionnaires were assessed in the present study. We compared patients who visited their dentist at least once a year (group A) with those who visited their dentist less than once a year (group B). Results. Patients in group A had significantly better health-related quality of life after tumor treatment than patients in group B. Patients in group A also had a smaller tumor size and less lymph node metastasis and lost fewer teeth during the treatment. This resulted in better prosthetic rehabilitation and better psychological status after tumor treatment. Conclusions. Dentists play an important role in the early recognition of oral cancer. This study should encourage dentists to take a more active role in oral cancer prevention.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/9638345
spellingShingle Simon Spalthoff
Henrik Holtmann
Gertrud Krüskemper
Rüdiger Zimmerer
Jörg Handschel
Nils-Claudius Gellrich
Philipp Jehn
Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
International Journal of Dentistry
title Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
title_full Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
title_fullStr Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
title_short Regular Dental Visits: Influence on Health-Related Quality of Life in 1,607 Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
title_sort regular dental visits influence on health related quality of life in 1 607 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/9638345
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