OBJECTIVES: To investigate practices and opinions of general dentists in Maryland, USA, related to oral and pharyngeal cancer prevention and early detection. DESIGN AND METHODS: A pre‐tested, 34‐item questionnaire, cover letter and addressed, stamped envelope were mailed in the summer, 1995, to a simple random sample of 800 members and non‐members of the American Dental Association practicing in Maryland. A reminder postcard was sent 3 weeks after initial mailing; a second complete mailing to all non‐respondents 6 weeks after first mailing. RESULTS: Over 90% of dentists asked about patient's current use of tobacco but only 77% assessed patient's history of tobacco use and types and amounts used. Fewer (66%) asked about present use of alcohol. Ninety percent reported providing an oral cancer examination at the initial appointment for patients 40 years of age or older; only 6% provided the examination for edentulous patients and only 40% reported palpating lymph nodes of patients 80% or more of the time. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists' reporting on providing oral cancer examinations and taking appropriate health histories are disappointing. These results call for comprehensive educational interventions in terms of changes in dental curricula and as continuing education courses especially since most dentists were interested in continuing education courses on oral cancer prevention and early detection.

Veterans at higher risk for oral cancers were less likely to have visited the dentist in the previous year, and, overall, were ill informed and misinformed about these cancers.

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