Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34922498›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2021

Knowledge, opinions, and practices related to oral cancer prevention and oral mucosal examination among dentists in Moldova, Belarus and Armenia: a multi-country cross-sectional study.

Olga Golburean, Maria Helene Hagen, Diana Uncuta, Marcela Tighineanu, Gayane Manrikyan, Izabella Vardanian, Christoffer Andresen, Bhavdeep Singh, Tatiana Porosencova, Irina Ivasiuc and 7 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Observational
  5. Article
  6. Head and neck exam practices of dental professionals.Clinical and experimental dental research · 2023
    Article
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  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Olga GolbureanCentre for International Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Golbureanolga94@gmail.com.
Maria Helene HagenDepartment of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Diana UncutaDepartment of Stomatological Propedeutics "Pavel Godoroja", Faculty of Stomatology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemiţanu", Chisinau, Moldova.
Marcela TighineanuDepartment of Stomatological Propedeutics "Pavel Godoroja", Faculty of Stomatology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemiţanu", Chisinau, Moldova.
Gayane ManrikyanDepartment of Therapeutic Stomatology, Faculty of Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia.
Izabella VardanianDepartment of Therapeutic Stomatology, Faculty of Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia.
Christoffer AndresenInstitute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Bhavdeep SinghInstitute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Tatiana PorosencovaDepartment of Stomatological Propedeutics "Pavel Godoroja", Faculty of Stomatology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemiţanu", Chisinau, Moldova.
Irina IvasiucDepartment of Stomatological Propedeutics "Pavel Godoroja", Faculty of Stomatology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemiţanu", Chisinau, Moldova.
Olga CheptanaruDepartment of Stomatological Propedeutics "Pavel Godoroja", Faculty of Stomatology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemiţanu", Chisinau, Moldova.
Marina MarkaryanDepartment of Therapeutic Stomatology, Faculty of Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia.
Natalia ShakavetsDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus.
Dipak SapkotaInstitute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Tine Merete SølandInstitute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Daniela-Elena CosteaDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Center of Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Daniela.Costea@uib.no.
Ferda ÖzkayaDepartment of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy · MDUniversity of Bergen · NOUniversity of Oslo · NOYerevan State Medical University · AMBelarusian State Medical University · BY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMoldova, Belarus, and Armenia are post-Soviet countries with a high rate of heavy smokers and a relatively high age-standardized incidence of oral cancer. However, to our knowledge, there is lack of available information on dentists' knowledge on prevention of oral cancer in the countries in question. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, opinions, and practices related to oral cancer prevention and oral mucosal examination among dentists in Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia.

methodsThis was a multi-country, cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 3534 dentists (797 in Chisinau, Moldova, 1349 in Minsk, Belarus, and 1388 in Yerevan, Armenia). Dentists' knowledge about risk factors for oral cancer development and its clinical picture, current practices and opinions with regard to oral mucosal screening and oral cancer prevention, and their consistency to perform oral mucosal examination were assessed. A knowledge score ranging from 0 to 14 points was generated based on each dentist's answer to the questionnaire.

resultsA total of 1316 dentists responded, achieving an overall response rate of 37.2% (34.5% in Moldova; 52.3% in Belarus; 24.2% in Armenia). Most dentists in the three countries correctly identified tobacco (83.8-98.2%) and prior oral cancer lesions (84.0-96.3%) as risk factors for oral cancer. Most dentists correctly identified leukoplakia as a lesion with malignant potential (68.7% in Moldova; 88.5% in Belarus; 69.9% in Armenia), while erythroplakia was identified by much fewer in all three countries. Less than 52% of dentists identified the tongue, rim of tongue, and floor of mouth as the most common sites for oral cancer. The mean knowledge score for all countries combined was 7.5 ± 2.7. The most commonly reported barriers to perform oral mucosal examination were lack of training, knowledge, and experience.

conclusionsThis study highlights the need for improved oral cancer-related education and training on oral mucosal examination for dentists in Moldova, Belarus, and Armenia. Such skills are essential to enhance oral cancer prevention and to improve the prognostic outcome by early detection.

Indexed as

Early Detection of CancerMouth NeoplasmsArmeniaAttitude of Health PersonnelCross-Sectional StudiesDentistsHumansMoldovaPractice Patterns, Dentists'Republic of BelarusSurveys and QuestionnairesArmeniaBelarusDentistKnowledgeMoldovaOpinionOral cancerPracticePrevention

Identifiers

PMID34922498
PMCPMC8684171
OpenAlexW4200146889

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.