ABSTRACT
Although cancer is not a part of the aging process, malignant neoplasms occur primarily in older adults. As the size of the elderly population increases, there will be many more older adults at risk for oral cancer. Many older adults do not seek dental care because they do not think they need it; and, therefore, they do not receive routine oral examinations. Dental practitioners need to encourage older patients to seek dental care so they can receive oral cancer examinations.
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Janet A. Yellowitz
Janet A. Yellowitz, DMD, MPH, is an associate professor and the director of geriatric dentistry at the University of Maryland Baltimore College of Dental Surgery.