Elevating dental training to prioritize prevention efforts for reducing HPV‐related oropharyngeal cancer incidence

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are commonly recognized in the UnitedStates with associations to cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx; the incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) in the United States is on the rise. 1 The aims of this scoping review were to examine the curricula of pre-doctoral dental students with respect to dental students: (1) awareness of the connection between OPC and HPV; (2) readiness to screen for OPC; and (3) ability to deliver patient education about OPC and its relation to HPV. We also codified published educational materials related to OPC and HPV for pre-doctoral dental students. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO), and Dissertation Abstracts-ProQuest. After screening titles and abstracts, we selected 36 articles for full text review. Only articles reporting pre-doctoral dental training in HPV and OPC were included in the review, which resulted in 15 articles being excluded from the study. Only two studies in this review specifically discussed a curriculum that would involve educating dental students on HPV-related OPC. This scoping review also found that the majority of existing training opportunities for OPC and HPV are through post-graduate continuing education. To address these deficiencies, competencies regarding the HPV-OPC connection should be included within pre-doctoral dental training programs. As such, we identified four key strategies for advancing HPV-OPC content within pre-doctoral dental training curricula. K E Y W O R D Shuman papillomavirus, oropharyngeal cancer, pre-doctoral dental education INTRODUCTIONHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is commonly recognized in the United States with associations to cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx; the incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) in the US is on the rise. [1][2][3] This increase is thought to be largely driven by HPV infection that occurs in the oropharynx (i.e., part of the throat behind the oral cavity, including the base of the tongue, soft palate, and palatine and lingual tonsils). 1 Although HPV infection is considered a major risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer, 4 most cases of HPV infection

Leveraging teachable moments in cancer prevention by improving HPV vaccination in health professional students (HPS): A systematic review

“…Strong recommendation for HPV vaccine by a healthcare provider has been positively associated with vaccine uptake (15). HPV vaccination can be obtained in a variety of settings beyond the doctor's office including schools (nurses) (16), pharmacies (17)(18)(19), and dental offices (20,21). Efforts to increase HPV vaccine uptake must be recognized as an interprofessional mission by empowering HPS in a variety of professions to become vaccine champions.…”

Changing Perspectives on Pediatric Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination among Dental Students and Residents Reveals Recent Increase in Vaccine Hesitancy

“…Vaccination knowledge, awareness, and acceptance strongly influence provider recommendations, yet relatively few studies have focused on assessing these aspects of dental provider HPV vaccine literacy [19,20]. Optional educational interventions have been shown to increase dental provider willingness to engage in vaccine recommendations and HPV-specific vaccine patient communications; incorporation of this into dental school educational curriculum may be the most effective method to train future dental professionals in these efforts [21][22][23].…”