Oral Cancer has become the sixth leading cancer among men and is one of the few cancers in which the rate of detection is increasing among young adults. Most people are not aware of the potential risks; however, when detected early enough, the survival rate for oral cancer is very high.
At one time oral cancer was predominantly seen among smokers, however, increasingly, oral cancer is being seen in patients of all ages. Although smoking is still a leading factor, many other criteria such as age, family history, ethnicity and alcoholic consumption also play a role. Many experts have surmised that an increasing cause is exposure to the HPV virus, which is the primary precursor of cervical cancer. These various factors all point towards the need for better technology to assist in the early detection of this curable disease.
This new and exciting technology, called VELscopeâ„¢, utilizes a
narrow band of safe, high-energy blue light and specialized filtering technology to help thoroughly evaluate the oral tissue for abnormal areas of concern, such as potentially cancerous lesions that may not be evident under white
light.
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As we care about your health as well as your teeth, we are now offering this to all patients during their consultation. We believe that this new technology will assist us in detecting disease at earlier stages and therefore catch abnormalities before they turn into cancer.
Your dental insurance may or may not cover the fee for this care. Coverage for this procedure (like most dental procedures) usually varies among insurance companies; however, this modest annual fee is well worth the benefit that this new device provides.
If you have any questions feel free to give us a call, or ask about the VELscopeâ„¢ at your next visit.
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