October 3, 2007

Little Rock -- Most forms of oral cancer, that is cancer of the mouth, could be prevented by eliminating tobacco use, according to Carolyn Dresler, MD, an associate professor of Health Policy and Management at the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Chief of the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program at the Arkansas Department of Health. Dr Dresler will address the Arkansas State Dental Hygienists’ Association at the Reynolds Cancer Support House in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on Saturday, October 6. More than one hundred Arkansans die every year from cancers of the mouth and throat.

Dresler believes her message to dentists and dental hygienists is an urgent one. “Regular exams with screenings for oral cancer, performed during regular visits to the dentist, can increase the discovery of cancers and save lives,” Dresler said. “To help prevent people from developing oral cancers, dentists and dental hygienists can teach their patients about ways to eliminate tobacco use.”

According to data from the Arkansas Central Cancer Registry and Mortality Statistics in 2004, smoking cessation (from smoking cigarettes, pipes, and cigars) as well as the elimination of smokeless tobacco products can prevent most of the 334 new cases and 108 deaths that occur every year in Arkansas from cancers of the mouth and throat. Studies indicate the risk of these cancers decreases rapidly after stopping smoking compared with the risk among continuing smokers.

Another reason Dresler believes dentists and dental hygienists should recommend smoking cessation is to protect children from secondhand smoke. A new study indicates children have a significantly higher rate of tooth decay when exposed to secondhand smoke than children who are not exposed to other people’s smoke. Between 150,000 and 300,000 children ranging from 12 to 18 months of age are exposed to secondhand smoke each year and thus have an increased likelihood of developing cavities. According to a recent Surgeon General's report, dental problems cause children to miss an estimated 50 million hours of school yearly. In addition, 300 children die each year from respiratory problems related to secondhand smoke.

Dresler encourages dentists and dental hygienists to help their clients successfully quit smoking, which -more- in turn can save not only their clients’ lives but also the lives of children. Parents, guardians and care givers must be educated on the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. Dentists and dental hygienists are encouraged to provide oral cancer screenings during routine dental visits and provide instruction on how to avoid oral diseases, including referring patients who use tobacco to a free quitline (such as 1-866-NOW-QUIT) or to a smoking cessation program.

Dr. Dresler’s background consists of training at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Surgical Oncology and the University of Toronto in Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery (U.S. Board Certified). She is also U.S. Board Certified in General Surgery. In 2002-2003, she completed a Master in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Her continued academic interests include tobacco-related cancers, the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, nicotine addiction particularly as it affects smoking cessation, the susceptibility of women to lung cancer, and the global issues of tobacco control. Prior to relocating to Arkansas, she was Head of the Group for Tobacco and Cancer at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. She is an internationally-renown expert on nicotine addiction, cessation and multiple aspects of global tobacco control.

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