Oral cancer course slated

CALAIS — A course on “Oral Lesion Assessment and Referral,” for health-care professionals will be offered at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, in the assembly room at the Washington County Technical College.

The four-hour course is sponsored by the Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health, Division of Dental Health; Washington County Child & Youth Board; American Cancer Society of Maine; and Washington County Technical College.

Funding for the course is provided by the Katahdin Area Health Education Center.

Alan Hickey, Doctor of Dental Medicine, a physician assistant, prosthodontist, who practices in Portland and Beverly Entwistle, Registered Dental Hygenist, Master’s in Public Health, director of the Division of Dental Health in Augusta, will present the course.

In 1987, Maine had the seventh highest mortality rate for oral cancer in the nation. The Center for Disease Control predicted that Maine would have the third highest mortality rate by 1990. The course at WCTC will give an overview of oral cancer data and increase participants’ ability to screen and counsel patients for oral cancer and other lesions. Permission has been received to grant Continuing Medical Education credits and four Continuing Education Units to dentists and dental hygienists.

For more information about course registration contact Debbie Andrew, R.D.H., 289-2361, Division of Dental Health, Statehouse Station 11, Augusta, 04333. For information about content and local arrangements, contact Sherri Camick, R.D.H., 454-2131, at the Child and Youth Dental Program, P.O. Box 837, Calais, 04619.