Oral Cancer Detection: The Power of Knowledge, Technology, and Training

Posted on November 7, 2025November 6, 2025 by Parul Dua Makkar, BSc, DDS, FACD, FICD

Oral cancer remains one of the most devastating diseases in dentistry, with thousands of new cases diagnosed each year. Too often, it is discovered late, when survival rates drop and treatment becomes more aggressive. Yet, as dental professionals, we are uniquely positioned to change that story. Every exam, every screening, and every conversation with a patient holds the potential to save a life. This is where modern tools like OralDNA® salivary testing make a profound difference. Saliva ...

Throwback: Side Effects Support LLC

Posted on May 23, 2025May 15, 2025 by Jill Meyer-Lippert RDH

As I started my first job in dentistry, my mother received a breast cancer diagnosis and suffered horribly with oral side effects from chemotherapy. Her pain from severe dry mouth and mouth sores (oral mucositis) was dismissed by her oncology team as “just part of treatments.” She received no guidance on how to prevent or reduce her discomfort and there were no oral care strategies implemented to prevent long-term damage to her dental health. Through questioning other cancer survivors, I le...

Connecting the Dots: A Role for Inflammation in Oral and Pharyngeal Cancers

Posted on September 1, 2017May 19, 2021 by Ronald C. McGlennen, MD

September is sexual health awareness month. In recognition, enjoy a previous post by Dr McGlennen regarding oral health and sexual health. It is important to understand the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the development of squamous cancers of the head and neck. But it seems there is missing a fuller appreciation of other key risk factors at work with the virus, to cause bad things to happen to cells in the mouth and throat. HPV infection is very common, and with the sensitive molecular...