Background: Approximately 30,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer annually in the United States. Recent evidence suggests that nutrition may play a more complex role in the prevention of oral cancers than previously believed. Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are a class of compounds found in normal dietary foods that exhibit chemopreventive properties and chemotherapeutic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article reports the findings of a survey-based study conducted to determine U.S. dental schools' institutional protocols regarding the practice of students' administering local anesthetic injections to fellow students as part of their process of learning this skill.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been confirmed as the primary etiological factor that transforms cervical epithelia into cancer. The presence of HPV in oral cancers suggests that HPV may play a similar role in transforming the oral epithelia. A high degree of variability in the prevalence of HPV in oral cancers has been found, however, raising questions regarding its role in the transformation and development of oral cancers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite the recently reported drop in the overall death rate from cancer, the estimated survival rate and number of deaths from oral cancer remain virtually unchanged. Early detection efforts, in combination with strategies for prevention and risk-reduction, have the potential to dramatically improve clinical outcomes. The identification of non-toxic, effective treatments, including complementary and alternative therapies, is critical if the survival rate is to be improved.
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