Cancer incidence in North America, 1988-1991 . North American Association of Cancer Registries, April, 1995. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, 1994. This procedure is considered an essential part of thorough oral cancer screening.
Whites are more likely than blacks to receive annual dental care, including check-ups.
1990 Current smokers are less likely than former smokers and people who never smoked to receive annual dental care, including check-ups. 5 Baseline data reveal a large gap between this objective and current practice. Data to be collected in the 1995 Rhode Island Health Interview survey will measure progress achieved in the intervening five years. Even if the state's oral cancer screening objective were to be achieved, however, many Rhode Islanders might not be screened frequently. This proportion is even lower among groups at higher risk of oral cancer, such as blacks and current smokers.