Evaluation of Dental Professionals’ Knowledge and Attitude Regarding the Diagnosis of Oral Cancer Through Histopathological Examination of Granulation Tissue

Sep 24, 2026

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Cancer of the oral cavity is increasing in India, and clinicians may miss that malignant neoplasms can present as granulation tissue and periapical granulomas. This cross-sectional study assessed dentists’ knowledge and attitudes toward diagnosing oral cancer using histopathological analysis of granulation tissue. Dentists from Uttar Pradesh (n=250) completed a 15-item closed questionnaire. Results showed limited awareness of biopsy importance (47.2%) and low biopsy practice (14.4%), highlighting the need for proactive submission and differential diagnosis.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages7

Reading Time18 min

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Abstract

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Aim

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Open Access Original Article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44744 Review began 08/24/2023 Review ended 09/02/2023 Published 09/05/2023 © Copyright 2023 Kumari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0. , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited. Evaluation of Dental Professionals’ Knowledge and Attitude Regarding the Diagnosis of Oral Cancer Through Histopathological Examination of Granulation Tissue Monika Kumari 1 , Hina Naim Abdul 2 , Chirag Vyas 3 , Ambar Khan 1 , Reya Shree 4 , Garima Sharma 5 1. Public Health Dentistry, Divya Jyoti College of Dental Sciences and Research, Ghaziabad, IND 2. Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU 3. Public Health Dentistry, Indira Gandhi District Hospital Mandsaur, Mandsaur, IND 4. Periodontology and Implantology, Divya Jyoti College of Dental Sciences and Research, Ghaziabad, IND 5. Oral Medicine and Radiology, Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre, Moradabad, IND Corresponding author: Monika Kumari, [mr078242@gmail.com](mr078242@gmail.com) Abstract Introduction: The current cancer trend in India has reported an alarming increase in cancer of the lip, throat, and oral cavity. Few dentists are aware that malignant neoplasms can also occur in the form of granulation tissue and periapical granulomas. However, most dentists agree that biopsies are essential to diagnose oral cancer. This makes the timely diagnosis of oral cancer dependent upon the histopathological examination of the granulation tissue by the dentist. Aim: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of dentists regarding the diagnosis of oral cancer through histopathological analysis of granulation tissue. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on dentists who were residents of Uttar Pradesh, India. Two hundred and fifty study participants enrolled to complete a self-structured questionnaire containing 15 closed-ended questions. The study was conducted over a period of three months, from June to August 2020. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States, and the t-test was performed. A significance level of P ≤ 0.05 was used to determine the statistical significance of quantitative variables. Results: The study findings revealed that only a small percentage of dentists (47.2%) were aware of the importance of biopsies in diagnosing oral cancer. Moreover, a minority (14 .4%) had conducted biopsies and submitted samples for histopathological analysis. Of them, 10% were aware that in clinical practice, malignant tumors can also manifest as periapical granulomas, granulation tissue, gingivitis, and other conditions. Conclusion: Dentists should proactively submit any granulation tissue for histopathological examination. Oral healthcare providers must maintain a high level of suspicion, develop a range of potential or differential diagnoses for oral cancer, and take necessary measures to attain a definitive diagnosis. This may include considering a referral to a specialist for the treatment of oral cancer. Categories: Pathology, Dentistry, Oral Medicine Keywords: oral cancer, granulation tissue, diagnosis, dentist, biopsy Introduction Cancer of the oral cavity usually begins as a small, unrefamiliar, unexplained growth or ulceration that involves the lips, cheek, tongue, palate, base of the mouth, and the sinuses of the oral cavity. Oral cancer is the sixth most typical malignancy worldwide and a major public health issue that affects both industrialized and developing nations. India has the largest number of oral cancer cases and one-third of the total burden of oral cancer globally [1] . India reports roughly 77,000 new cases of oral cancer pe

FAQs

What was the main aim of the study?

The study aimed to evaluate dentists’ knowledge and attitudes regarding the diagnosis of oral cancer through histopathological analysis of granulation tissue.

How was the study conducted?

A cross-sectional study surveyed dentists in Uttar Pradesh, India, using a self-structured questionnaire with 15 closed-ended questions over three months (June to August 2020).

What did the study find about dentists’ biopsy awareness and practice?

Only 47.2% of dentists were aware of the importance of biopsies for diagnosing oral cancer, and 14.4% had conducted biopsies and submitted samples for histopathological analysis.

Sep 24, 2026

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