Oral cancer screening (OCS) may be the best way to
detect oral cancer early, and dental hygienists have an
important role. They screen for oral cancer as part of
every dental hygiene appointment and educate clients about risk factors and how to
detect potential problems. Detecting the disease in
the early stages is key to the survival rate. Thousands
of new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed in Canada
each year; the five-year survival rate of all oral cancer
cases is about 50 per cent. Some estimates suggest
that screening could detect as many as 80 per cent
of new cases.