Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., with cigarette use responsible for one out of every three cancer deaths in the country. The rising use of smokeless tobacco is adding to these numbers by introducing a new set of health risks, as these products contain over 28 cancer-causing compounds. Although many people are turning to smokeless tobacco in an attempt to quit smoking cigarettes, the International Agency for Research on Cancer warns that smokeless tobacco may pose risks just as severe as smoking, with one in three cases of oral cancer linked to its use. Today, 5 million U.S. adults—including middle schoolers—are using these products, putting future generations at risk of developing oral cancer. Yet, the health care system remains alarmingly unprepared to address this growing crisis.
As this silent surge of oral cancer looms, how can our health and dental care systems best prepare to take swift and decisive action to protect lives?
Making the Case for Integrated Care In Early Disease Detection
Health and dental care have historically operated in separate siloes, despite the mouth being the entryway to the body. With mounting evidence pointing to the correlation between oral health and chronic conditions, the need for medical-dental integration has never been more urgent. In an integrated health care system, dental professionals can alert medical providers to signs in the mouth that point to potential health issues, allowing both to collaborate on creating comprehensive care plans for the best patient outcomes. Without this integration, oral cancer and the overwhelming costs of its treatment will continue to be mishandled in a fragmented system.
Early detection, facilitated by medical-dental collaboration, could significantly reduce both the human and financial toll, as early-stage cancers are treated at a fraction of the cost of late-stage diagnoses. Nationally, early detection has the potential to save an estimated $26 billion annually, with early-stage cancer patients facing treatment costs two to four times lower than those diagnosed later. Cancer-related expenses to patients are staggering, estimated at $21.1 billion, including $16.2 billion in out-of-pocket expenses and $4.9 billion in costs like travel and wait times. These numbers reveal a harsh reality about cancer’s impact on both the health care system and vulnerable patients.
As oral cancer rates continue to rise, access to early-diagnostic technology is essential to improving outcomes and reducing costs. Reimbursement models that incentivize early detection play a critical role in raising the standard of care. When supported by payors, these models drive better experiences, cost efficiency, and a stronger medical-dental connection.
Exposing Cancer In Its Earliest Stages with AI
AI in health care has maintained its place in the limelight, but its impact on oral health care is under-discussed. Much like how AI augments care pathways in the broader health system, it’s emerging as a powerful tool for early oral cancer detection. AI-powered diagnostic tools empower general practitioner dentists to screen and identify signs of damage in the mouth—often before they are visible to the human eye. These screening tools can detect patterns and changes that could help save lives before the disease reaches a point of no return.
As health systems work to combine medicine and dentistry, AI’s data analysis, predictive power, and seamless integration with other solutions make it a catalyst for driving preventative care. With AI-enabled diagnostics, early detection becomes the rule, not the exception—boosting survival rates, equipping dentists to take quick action, and preventing disease progression before it’s too late.
Increasing Investments In Oral Health
Addressing the oral cancer crisis requires strategic investments in oral health technology. This includes investing in the appropriate tools, organizations, and operational structures that reduce costs while enhancing health care delivery. AI, in particular, is a key investment, as it enables preventative measures and identifies health concerns more precisely before they escalate into costly, life-threatening diseases. From a cost perspective, AI reduces the burden of treating advanced cancer, improving patient outcomes while easing pressure on overextended health systems. Beyond AI, technologies that streamline diagnostics, boost patient engagement, and simplify clinical workflows are equally essential to transforming care and alleviating strain on the health care system. To create lasting change, health care leaders must invest in advanced technology that unlocks valuable data insights and fuels precision diagnostics.
Oral cancer is on the rise and considered one of the most expensive cancers with a high mortality rate. We must bridge the gaps between dentistry and medical care before the silent surge of oral cancer weakens the health care system and worsens patient outcomes. From our own experience with loved ones who have gone through cancer and its treatment process, we’ve witnessed first-hand the financial and emotional damage that comes from the lack of early diagnostics. There is an undeniable, critical demand for research and new technologies to diagnose cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. Looking ahead, using AI technology within a medical-dental health care system is the most viable solution with the most promising outcomes.
About Denise Marks
Denise W. Marks is chief financial officer, executive vice president of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and CareQuest Innovation Partners, where she focuses on ensuring the financial health and operational success of the organizations, so they can create an accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system for all.
About Dr. John McDevitt
Dr. John T. McDevitt is a leading expert in the development of AI linked cytology technologies and serves as the scientific founder and chief scientist at Oraliva, INC. He also serves as a full professor in the Department of Molecular Pathology at NYU Dentistry with a joint appointment in the Tandon School of Engineering at NYU.
