Background: Globally, a decline in the incidence of oral cancer has been noted, while the mortality rates have remained relatively stable. The aim of this study was to provide an update on the incidence and mortality of oral cancer in Australia on a national and state level. Methods: Data regarding new cases and deaths associated with cancer of the lip, oral cavity and oropharynx were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for the period 1982-2008. Crude-and age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated for all of Australia and for each state and territory. Results: A total of 60 826 cases of lip, oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer were diagnosed in Australia. Between 1992 and 2008, a decline in the annual percentage change of age-standardized incidence was noted. The lip, followed by the tongue, continue to represent the most common sites of new oral cancer cases. There was no significant change in the rates of mortality for oral cancer over the time period. Conclusions: These findings show that the oral cancer mortality rate remains high despite a decline in incidence over the past three decades, highlighting a greater need for dental practitioners to undertake preventive strategies and opportunistic screening for patients.

This study is the first to detail the scope of practice, lesion occurrence and utilisation of services offered by OMP specialists in Australia. The demand for OMP services is strong.

Background Cryotherapy is the deliberate destruction of tissue by the application of extreme cold, and has been indicated as a treatment modality for the management of commonly occurring benign oral pathologies. The aim of this study was to investigate treatment protocol parameters and effectiveness of a closed cryotherapy system for the management of oral mucoceles and vascular malformations. Methods This retrospective study analyzed data collected from a specialist oral medicine clinic referred for treatment of oral mucoceles or vascular malformations. Data was analyzed to determine lesion characteristics, treatment parameters, and clinical effectiveness of a closed cryotherapy system. Results The closed cryotherapy system achieved 100% success rate in lesion resolution. For both pathologies, increased lesion diameter was related to increased number of cryotherapy appointments, increased number of freeze cycles, and increased cumulative freeze time. 95% of vascular malformations and 83.34% of mucoceles resolved with no signs of post‐operative complication, and patients did not report postoperative pain. Conclusions Cryotherapy is an excellent treatment option for benign lesion management. It is minimally invasive, causes minimal discomfort, and has a high rate of clinical success.