General Dentists Head to Detroit

Annual Meeting to Offer Oral Cancer Screenings to Public

News provided by

May 22, 2014, 08:30 ET

CHICAGO, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- General dentists and dental team members will gather in Detroit for the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) 2014 Annual Meeting & Exhibits, from June 26 to 29, at the Cobo Center.

"Detroit is the perfect setting for our annual meeting—just like this amazing city, dentistry is always evolving," says AGD President Linda J. Edgar, DDS, MEd, MAGD. "This year's meeting was designed to help dental professionals adapt and thrive in a changing landscape."

Attendees will participate in more than 50 continuing education courses and networking events, and more than 150 companies will showcase their products and services in the meeting's exhibit hall. The meeting's opening session will feature keynote speakers Dave Bing, basketball Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, and former Detroit mayor; and Ralph Gilles, senior vice president, product design, and president/CEO, Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC.

The AGD Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the AGD, will host free oral cancer screenings for annual meeting attendees, exhibit personnel, and the public from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 27, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, at the Cobo Center on the Concourse Level. The public should enter the convention center from Washington Boulevard.

"More than 50 volunteer dentists will be available to provide these quick and painless examinations," Dr. Edgar says. "They'll feel for lumps or irregular tissue changes in the neck, throat, cheeks, and mouth, and look for any sores or discoloration. If any concerns are found, patients will be directed to follow up with area dentists."

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, more than 43,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year, resulting in more than 8,000 deaths. Of those diagnosed this year, just 57 percent will survive more than five years following the initial diagnosis. By hosting screenings at the AGD 2014 Annual Meeting & Exhibits, the AGD Foundation hopes to spread the word about oral cancer and promote the general dentist's role in early detection.

"Early detection is the first step in fighting oral cancer," Dr. Edgar says. "Because dentists can often detect the disease in its early stages, the dental community is positioned to serve as the first line of defense against oral cancer. We hope the Detroit community will take advantage of these free screenings."

For more information, contact [email protected].

About the Academy of General Dentistry
The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is a professional association of 38,000 general dentists dedicated to providing quality dental care and oral health education to the public. AGD members stay up-to-date in their profession through a commitment to continuing education. Founded in 1952, the AGD is the second largest dental association in the United States, and it is the only association that exclusively serves the needs and represents the interests of general dentists. A general dentist is the primary care provider for patients of all ages and is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, management, and overall coordination of services related to patients' oral health needs. For more information about the AGD, visit www.agd.org. The AGD is a member of the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives, a first-of-its-kind national dental coalition composed of 37 leading dental health organizations. The Partnership's campaign is designed to educate parents and caregivers on how to improve their children's oral health in simple ways. The campaign offers families oral health resources through the website 2min2x.org.

SOURCE Academy of General Dentistry