VelScope Oral Cancer Screening

VELScope   Oral Cancer Screening – few minutes that could save your life.

I have previously written articles about Oral Cancer but have recently,  noticed an increase in questions regarding oral cancer.  The main reason for the intense concern is the recent death of  Baseball Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn on June 16, 2014 from oral cancer,  He was only 54 years old.

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2009, an estimated  35,720 new cases of oral cavity and oropharyngeal  cancer will diagnosed in the United States.  If oral cancer is detected in early stages the five year survival rate is 80% or higher.

The symptoms of oral cancer that you  should be aware of include:

• A mouth sore that bleeds easily or does not heal
• A persistent white or red patch in the mouth
• Lumps or thickening in the mouth, throat, or tongue
• Difficulty when chewing or swallowing

In some cases nothing is visible to the naked eye,  it is for that  reason  that  once per year we use the latest method in oral cancer detention ;  The VELscope Oral Screening System.  The VELscope emits a safe, visible blue light into the mouth which causes the tissue in the mouth to fluoresce.  The resulting fluorescence can reveal changes in the tissue that are often related to a disease process.

The exam takes about 2 minutes, with no rinses, dyes or discomfort.  It is an important procedure that  should be done annually and can be done at the your professional dental cleanings .