January 22, 2027

| VIRTUAL LIVESTREAM
| CATEGORY 1 CORE COURSE

HPV Head and Neck Cancer and Survivorship

Dr. Deborah Paulette Saunders, DMD, FICD, FACD, FPFA, FADI, FIAOO




Seminar Schedule:

8:20am - 8:30am:
Introductory Remarks

8:30am:
Lecture begins

10:00am:
15 min Break

10:15am:
Lecture resumes

11:45am:
Questions + Lunch

12:30pm:
Lecture resumes

1:45pm:
15 min Break

2:00pm:
Lecture resumes

3:15pm:
Questions + Lecture Assessment

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • The Category 1 course is a full day course with 6 hours of lecture time. There will not be half credits offered for attending a half-day only.
  • There will be breaks in the morning, afternoon, and mid-day for lunch.
  • You will be required to answer multiple-choice questions via ZOOM every 25+ minutes to show engagement. Please answer all questions, any response is acceptable regardless of whether it is correct.
  • You will be required to correctly answer a multiple-choice assessment questionnaire at the end of the seminar.
  • You should be logged into ZOOM via a computer, not a tablet or phone as you may not be able to complete the engagement questions or assessment.
  • If you are attending the seminar with someone from the same household or office, please ensure that you are logged into different devices to ensure all members are awarded credits. You may mute one device and watch the seminar on the other, however engagement questions must be done on separate devices.
  • Please do not share ZOOM links with other members. All members much have their own unique ZOOM link to ensure credits are awarded properly.
  • We will be strictly following RCDSO guidelines in regards to this course.
  • This course will not be recorded or available to be viewed online for CE points after the livestreamed event.
  • Category 1 courses require sign-on within 15 minutes of the start time to qualify for credits.

Course Description

Advances in treatment and the increasing incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers have led to a growing population of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. Despite multidisciplinary care, many survivors continue to experience unmet oral and functional needs that significantly impact quality of life. Community dentists play a vital role in identifying, preventing, and managing these long-term complications.

This session will review the prevention and management of chronic oral complications associated with head and neck cancer treatment, including salivary hypofunction and xerostomia, osteoradionecrosis, fibrosis, lymphedema, taste disturbances, and functional impairments. The session will also highlight available prosthetic and maxillofacial rehabilitation options, the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, and the dentist’s role in patient education related to HPV vaccination and tobacco cessation.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Identify common oral and functional complications following head and neck cancer treatment and recognize available prosthetic rehabilitation options
  • Understand the role of multidisciplinary care in improving speech, swallowing, nutrition, and overall functional outcomes
  • Describe the dentist’s role in HPV vaccination education and ongoing tobacco cessation counselling

About the Speaker

Dr. Saunders is Medical Director of the Dental Oncology Program at Sudbury Regional Hospital, Chief of Dentistry at Health Sciences North, and Associate Professor at Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She has served as a global leader in oral oncology for over two decades, including President of the International Society of Oral Oncology (2019-2021) and Chair of the MASCC/ISOO Oral Care Study Group (2012-2018).

Her clinical research portfolio includes leadership roles on multiple ASCO/MASCC/ISOO joint clinical practice guideline steering committees for osteoradionecrosis, medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, and salivary hypofunction. She currently leads the ISOO-World Dental Federation collaboration developing the ONCOllab app, a digital platform for evidence-based oral cancer care education.

Dr. Saunders chairs the Ontario Health Symptom Management Guide to Oral Care working group and serves on the Head and Neck Delphi Panel for Cancer Care Ontario. She holds editorial roles with the Journal of the Ontario Dental Association and Supportive Care in Cancer, and was recognized with the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from ISOO and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Her expertise in guideline development, digital health implementation, and symptom management standardization positions her to lead this AI-enabled education initiative with clinical rigor and international collaboration.