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Importance of Oral Cancer Screening
Cherrywood Dental • Jul 30, 2013
Your regular dental exams have many components, some of which you may not be aware are even taking place. One such step is oral cancer screening. While your Woodbridge dentist checks the inside of your mouth, lips, and upper throat for signs of cancer or other diseases whenever you visit our office, there is now a more targeted way to catch cancer as early as possible. The VELscope Vx allows us to screen for oral cancer quickly, effectively, and without causing any discomfort for our patients. We think that makes it a very exciting tool. This blog post discusses the benefits of the VELscope and the ways it will shape your next dental appointment.
What is a VELscope Oral Cancer Screening Like?
Most oral cancer screenings involve visual examination of the tissues inside your mouth. The VELscope provides us with a more specific, targeted way to search for disease. The screening involves a blue light that affects molecules in your oral tissues. Those excited molecules fluoresce in different shades. The VELscope measures the contrast between fluorescence of normal and unhealthy tissue to pinpoint areas that may be cancerous.
VELscope’s advantages include the following:
- Speedy examination – The VELscope needs to pass light over oral tissues, and that’s all it needs! This takes only 1-2 minutes, and will have you out of the office ASAP.
- Non-invasive – There are no dyes or bad-tasting substances involved. You won’t even feel the light inside your mouth.
- Results can be digitally photographed – The results of your screening can be easily captured and shared with you and your other healthcare professionals.
While oral cancer screenings are a part of most exams, you may need screenings more often if you are a tobacco user or a heavy drinker. Talk to your Woodbridge dentist to determine the appropriate screening schedule for your needs.