Abstract

*Dr. Shreya Shrivastava and Dr. Prateek Awasthi

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Previous reports on biopsy procedures in dental and medical practice demonstrate a small but steady increase in the number of specimens received by general pathology departments. Considering the prevalence of smoking, smokeless tobacco and alcohol, these indicate the numbers of true cases may under report. Patients with complaint of pain and swelling usually report to practitioners while other suspicious lesions are not routinely perceived by them and even if noticed, they disregard them. Dental and medical practitioners actively involved in their practice may or may not perform biopsies on a routine basis. Hence the present study is an attempt to understand the concern of patients and practitioners towards oral lesions and to biopsy procedures and also to stress that “innocent looking” lesions should be immediately referred or they should be biopsied thus assisting in the early detection of oral cancer. Material and methods: A self designed questionnaire was administered to 100 general practitioners and patients in Bhopal city, consisting of several items addressing the socio-demographic and professional aspects and their attitudes towards oral biopsy procedures. Results: The response rate was exceptionally high i.e. 98.54%. All the practitioners felt that biopsy was an important tool in diagnosis of oral lesions but many still did not venture to undertake it on their own and preferred referring it to a specialist or higher care centre. This was mainly due to lack of experience and patient factors. There were also conflicting results regarding referral diagnostic pathology services and preservation of the biopsy specimens. Conclusion: This emphasizes the need for higher levels of importance to be placed on this aspect in undergraduate and postgraduate dental curriculum. Organisation of specific training or continuing dental education programmes to enhance their practical skills could aid in increasing the utility of this important tool in diagnosis of oral lesions.