Abstract: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignant tumor of head and neck, whose development is related to the abnormal gene expression. Aberrant DNA methylation is a mechanism that affects gene expression and has been proven to play an important role in OSCC initiation and development. This review mainly discusses the research progress and detection techniques of DNA methylation in OSCC, including sample types, methylation levels of genes related to OSCC, their biological functions and clinical interpretations in tumor progression. The future research will continue to explore the relationship between abnormal DNA methylation and OSCC initiation, development, treatment and prognosis, in order to find more effective treatment strategies and prognosis assessment methods

Key words: DNA methylation, oral squamous cell carcinoma, diagnosis, tumor development, prognosis