Since oral cancer is a relatively rare disease, dental practitioners will only rarely be faced with oral cancer. Nevertheless, dental practitioners have a key role in early diagnosing and referring to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The major part of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, recognizable during routine oral inspection. Early referring is essential since treatment of small, non-metastasized cancers have the best chance of long-term disease-free survival. Pre-malignant lesions are leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and lichenoid lesions, which as well can be detected early. In case of premalignant lesions, dental practitioners have also a key role in recognizing and referring to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.