Dentists are responsible for:
Adopting a management strategy within their dental practice for the early detection and prevention of mouth cancer.
Ensuring that their management strategy is conducive with medico-legal advice from defence organisations and the BDA.
Ensuring that they and their team are trained to deliver the management strategy for mouth cancer and that individuals understand their roles and responsibilities within it. Principal dentists remain responsible for their team’s actions and advice that they give.
Establishing and confirming robust referral pathways with specialist departments to allow for timely referrals.
Understanding NICE Guidelines for the referral of mouth cancer cases to a specialist unit.
Deciding whether to use an adjunctive screening tool and if so ensuring that each associate dentist in the practice is trained in its use and application.
Adopting a common approach amongst the dentists in the practice to deliver a systematic routine screening, document findings in a custom made format (on paper or electronically) and organise the rest of the dental team to support the system.
Setting up an audit system to monitor annual screening, referral and outcome figures.
Having a training policy for staff that is conducive with the GDC’s recommendation for the management of mouth cancer as a CPD topic.
Communicating the practice’s approach to other dental practices and health professionals.