Oral Cancer Screening

 

 

SENIOR smile is proud to announce that we have incorporated the VELscope® System into our dental practice.

The VELscope System, recently approved by the FDA, was developed by the British Columbia Cancer Agency and Vancouver-based LED Dental Inc. It is a revolutionary hand-held device that provides dentists and hygienists with a new tool to aid in the early detection of oral cancer. The VELscope examination is a non-invasive, painless procedure which takes only a few minutes. The dentist shines a blue light into the mouth to cause it to fluoresce. This fluorescence helps the dentist visualize abnormal tissue which may be, or may lead to, oral cancer.

Over 42,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer annually in the United States. With a mortality rate of over 50% at 5 years, one person every hour of every day dies of oral cancer in America. If detected early however, oral cancer is 90% survivable. Dr. Thapar-Dua of SENIOR smile states: “We’ve always conducted an annual comprehensive oral cancer screening for all of our patients, but the VELscope System will allow us to see things we’ve been unable to see previously. By detecting potential problems earlier, we’ll be providing our patients with the best oral health care currently available”.

For more information regarding the VELscope System, visit www.velscope.com or call SENIOR smile with your questions, and to schedule an appointment.