Identification of risk groups for oral precancer and cancer and preventive measures

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the ten most common cancers of the body. Prevalence of oral cancer increases with age and is more common in men. In recent years a rise in incidence and prevalence of oral cancer among younger persons has been described. The prevalence of oral leukoplakia differs worldwide. In a recent German study the prevalence for men was 2.3%, for women 0.9%. Tobacco and alcohol remain the primary factors in the etiology of oral cancer and precancer. Dietary factors seem to be important in the prevention of oral precancer and cancer as has been shown in a number of recent studies. Antioxidants which are contained in fruits and vegetables seem to have a preventive effect. Prevention of oral precancer and cancer may be exerted as primary, secondary or tertiary prevention. Primary prevention is focused on elimination of risk factors (tobacco, alcohol), and has widely been neglected for the prevention of oral precancer and cancer until now. The dental team has to be involved in primary prevention to reduce the number of tobacco users, to help smokers to give up their smoking habits, to keep non-smokers from being exposed to passive smoking and to convince people to give up other oral habits which are associated with the use of tobacco.