A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Oral Cancer Awareness Between First- and Fifth-Year Dental Students: A Questionnaire...

Early oral cancer (OC) detection reduces associated morbidity and mortality. As the primary healthcare providers, dentists are pivotal in identifying precancerous and cancerous lesions during oral examinations. This study aimed to compare the knowledge, awareness, and clinical attitudes regarding OC between first-year and fifth-year dental students and to evaluate the effectiveness of dental education on OC awareness.

The study population consisted of 188 undergraduate dental students divided into two groups: 99 first-year students who had not yet received education on OC and 89 fifth-year students who had completed all relevant coursework. A face-to-face validated survey comprising demographic information, examination habits, knowledge of OC risk factors, symptom recognition, diagnostic methods, and management approaches was performed. Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS v26.0 with a significance threshold of p < 0.05.

Fifth-year students exhibited significantly higher awareness and knowledge in all domains than first-year students. Routine screening for OC was reported by 76.4% of fifth-year students versus 29.2% of first-year students (p < 0.001). Fifth-year students demonstrated superior recognition of clinical signs, including ulceration, red and white lesions, lymphadenopathy, and numbness (p < 0.001). Familiarity with diagnostic tools and appropriate referral behavior was significantly more common among senior students.

The findings demonstrate that dental education significantly enhances students' knowledge, clinical awareness, and diagnostic behavior regarding OC. However, the lower awareness among first-year students underscores the need to integrate OC-related content earlier in the curriculum. These results support the integration of structured and comprehensive OC education early in the dental curriculum to enhance screening and diagnostic behaviors.