SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Oral Health
Sec. Oral Health Promotion
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1604925
Knowledge of HPV and Its Association with Oropharyngeal Cancer Among Dental Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Ministry of Health (Kuwait), Kuwait City, Kuwait
- 2School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- 3Department of Public Health and Community Service, School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- 4Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, Kuwait
- 5Department of Preventative Dentistry, Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Umm al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- 6Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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1) Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a significant risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), yet dental students' knowledge of this association varies widely. Given the critical role dentists play in early detection and prevention, understanding their level of knowledge is essential. This study systematically reviews existing research to assess dental students' awareness of HPV and its link to OPC. (2) Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, ProQuest, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies published up to August 2023. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate study quality. A random effects model was applied to calculate pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals. (3) Results: Sixteen studies, comprising 6,345 participants, were included. The pooled analysis showed that 69% of dental students had general knowledge of HPV (range: 56%-96.5%; 95% CI: 0.56-0.81), while 77% recognized its association with OPC (range: 18%-96.4%; 95% CI: 0.63-0.89). Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies (Q = 646.34, P < 0.001 for HPV; Q = 804.07, P < 0.001 for HPV-OPC). ( 4) Conclusion: Knowledge gaps among dental students may hinder prevention efforts. Standardized education in dental curricula is crucial to ensure future dentists are wellprepared to address HPV-related conditions and promote early detection in clinical practice.
Keywords: Human papillomavirus, oropharyngeal cancer, Dental students, Knowledge assessment, HPV-related cancers, HPV awareness, dental education
Received: 02 Apr 2025; Accepted: 12 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Albusairi, Mandani, Bouresly, Brahmbhatt, Alqaderi and Alhazmi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hesham Alhazmi, Department of Preventative Dentistry, Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Umm al-Qura University, Mecca, 31982, Saudi Arabia
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