Evaluation of Potentially Malignant Disorders in the Oral Cavity Clinical Practice Guideline (2017)
A panel of experts convened by the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs presents a clinical practice guideline to inform clinicians about the potential use of adjuncts as triage tools for the evaluation of lesions, including potentially malignant disorders (PMDs), in the oral cavity.
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Key Points
- Clinicians should obtain an updated medical, social, and dental history and perform an intraoral and extraoral conventional visual and tactile examination in all adult patients.
- For patients with suspicious lesions, clinicians should immediately perform a biopsy of the lesion or refer the patient to a specialist.
- Salivary and light-based adjuncts are not recommended for evaluating lesions for malignancy.
Additional Resources
Additional resources concerning the evaluation of oral lesions available via the tabs below, including:
- ADA chairside guide
- Oral Health Topics page
- ADA CE Online
- MouthHealthy page
- For the Patient page
- Video demonstrating how to check patients for oral cancer
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