Assessing Oral Cancer Awareness and Knowledge Levels among Dental Patients in Türkiye

Abstract Objectives: Early diagnosis of oral cancer can change the prognosis of the disease. One of the major obstacles for the early diagnosis of oral cancer is the low awareness levels of the patients. This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge levels of oral cancer among patients attending a dental clinic. Methods: This community-based study was carried out between February-July 2023 for a duration of six months. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews using the questions from a standardized questionnaire. The 24-item questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, oral cancer knowledge and awareness assessment, and information sources. Results: Participants (n = 276) had a meanage of 39.94 ± 13.98 years, with 62.7% of them being female and 37.3% male. Regular dental visits were reported by 28.6%. Regarding oral health, 43.1% of the volunteers reported receiving oral health related information from their dentists. Among the volunteers, 93 patients (33.9%) had never heard of oral cancer before. Smoking (80.8%) and poor oral hygiene (50.6%) were perceived as common risk factors. Notably, 50.4% identified both smoking and alcohol as risk factors. Awareness of HPV as oral cancer contributor was low (17.4%). The proportion of individuals accurately recognizing all symptoms of oral cancer was at 5.4%. A notable 22.1% of participants believed that oral cancer was contagious. Conclusions: Public oral cancer awareness remains low. Targeted interventions are essential to enhance public understanding and early detection of oral cancer. These insights contribute to global oral health objectives, emphasizing the role of public education and multi-channel awareness campaigns regarding oral cancer and oral health.