UB Dental School to Offer Free Oral Cancer Screening

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine will offer its annual free oral cancer screening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 14 in Squire Hall on the UB South (Main Street) Campus.

The program is targeted at smokers and those over 50, but screening will be available to all. The screening process will involve a 15-minute examination of the soft tissue in the mouth to look for suspicious lesions, and an additional 15 minutes to complete paperwork. Appointments are not necessary.

Participants will be directed from the lobby of Squire Hall (which faces Main Street) to the dental clinic, where the screening will take place. There is ample parking adjacent to Squire Hall and in the lots along the Main-Street side of the campus.

Cancers of the mouth and pharynx (the passage that connects the back of the nose and mouth to the esophagus) account for about 3 percent of all cancers in the U.S. Approximately 30,000 new cases are found each year.

Significant risk factors are smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Most oral and pharyngeal cancers occur in patients over 45, and men are affected more often than women. The most common sites are the tongue, floor of the mouth and lip. Early detection improves survival. An oral cancer examination by a dentist, dental hygienist or physician is recommended on an annual basis.

The program is being organized by students in the UB dental school in conjunction with Lance Ortman, D.D.S., associate dean of clinical affairs; Lida Radfar, D.D.S., assistant professor of oral diagnostic sciences, and the faculty of the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences. The dental school can be reached at 829-2824.