When it comes to the topic of oral cancer, no one should have to live in fear of the unknown. With so many ways to prevent tragedy through early detection, a routine visit to your dentist or orthodontist could literally save your life, or the life of someone you love.
Ever since high-profiled actor Michael Douglas publicly addressed his own struggles, the public eye has turned toward the signs and symptoms of oral cancer. Oral cancer can be identified through abnormalities in the mouth, tongue, tonsils and oropharynx, gums, the floor of the mouth, lips and other parts of the mouth.
The American Cancer Society has mentioned “a recent rise in cases of oropharyngeal cancer linked to infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) in white men and women.” According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, “Close to 43,250 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 43,250 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years.”
National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) statistics indicate that new cases of oral cancer in 2014 are already at 42,440 and account for 2.5% of all new cancer cases. The studies show a survival rate of 62.7% five years or more after being diagnosed. The better news is that if the cancer is caught in stage 1, the recovery rate is between 80-90%, based on data collected in 2011.
In a recent Dentistry IQ article, Nick Efthimiadisexpressed concern over the fact that relatively young people run the risk of contracting HPV-16, and that “oral cancer will only become a bigger concern for both patients and dental practices over time.”
What is VELscope® System?
When it comes to oral cancer prevention, the process of detection does not have to be drawn out or painful. Since its 2006 launch, minimally invasive VELscope® “is the first technology to be approved by the FDA to help clinicians detect cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions that might not be apparent to the naked eye.” VELscope® is not a diagnostic device – only a surgical biopsy can confirm or deny cancer – but it does provide peace of mind and alert to potentially dangerous factors that contribute to oral cancer.
VELscope® is a handheld, blue light-based cancer-screening device used in adjunction with an oral exam used to find visually ambiguous abnormalities. As the light shines in the patient’s mouth, different fluorescent signatures will identify healthy and non-healthy tissue. It can also find bacterial and fungal infections, inflamed tissue, salivary gland tumors, cancerous and pre-cancerous signs, and symptoms of HPV.
Talk to your Progressive Dental Dentist Today!
Practices like Progressive Dental with local dentist offices in Binghamton, Endwell, Norwich and Montrose provide dental and orthodontic services that reiterate the need for preventive care. Progressive Dental provides this value added service free of charge as part of our conventional oral cancer examination. “The odds are that we won’t find anything that concerns us. But if we do, the VELscope® device will increase our odds of finding it early rather that late. An oral cancer examination with a VELscope® screening takes very little time, and involves no extra cost, pain or inconvenience. So let’s plan to make this part of your next hygiene appointment.”
