534 Oral Cancer Screening: Stepping Fully Into Your Role

In this episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists, co-hosts David Torres and Jessica Atkinson welcome renowned speaker and dental educator Jo-Anne Jones for an impactful conversation titled "Oral Cancer Screening: Stepping Fully Into Your Role."   Jo-Anne shares deeply personal and professional insights that challenge clinicians to recognize the true life-saving potential of routine dental visits. Through powerful storytelling and clinical expertise, she highlights the urgency of early detection—especially in the face of rising HPV-related cancers—and encourages hygienists to fully embrace their role in comprehensive screenings.   From explaining the intraoral "triangle of death" to demonstrating proper neck palpation techniques, Jo-Anne provides practical, actionable strategies clinicians can implement immediately. She also reflects on how a personal crisis shaped her mission in dentistry and reinforces why every screening appointment should be treated as an opportunity to save a life.   This episode is both inspiring and educational, equipping dental professionals with the knowledge and confidence to elevate their oral cancer screening protocols and patient care.   "What We Talked About (From Jo-Anne's Perspective)" Why Jo-Anne is passionate about saving lives—HPV, rising cancers, and one family's loss How Jo-Anne approaches the intraoral "triangle of death" exam How a personal crisis launched Jo-Anne's mission in dentistry Why Jo-Anne believes this is a life-saving appointment How Jo-Anne performs proper neck palpation Simple screening steps Jo-Anne recommends hygienists start today Why Jo-Anne uses screening tools in clinical practice Call to Action   If you found this episode valuable, be sure to subscribe to A Tale of Two Hygienists, leave a review, and share it with colleagues who are committed to improving patient care and early detection.   Resources:   HPV Talking Points Resource: www.rdhu.ca/hpvtalkingpointsresource   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjlifeandtimes/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-anne-jones-88a2266/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jo.anne.jones.626106/