Our practice continually looks for advances to ensure that we are providing our patients with the optimum level of oral health care. We are concerned about oral cancer and examine every patient for it.Approximately 75% of oral cancer is attributed to the use of smoked and smokeless tobacco. Other factors that can place a person at increased risk include alcohol consumption, immunodeficiencies, poor nutrition, and exposure to excessive UV light. Each year, more that 30,00 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed. Early detection is the key to increasing the survival rate for these cancers.
Most early signs of oral cancer are painless and difficult to detect without a thorough head and neck exam by a dental professional. Individuals age 18 and older should have at least one oral cancer screening per year. Our practice has recently incorporated the VELscope Vx, an enhanced oral detection tool. This simple 2 minute exam uses a handpiece which emits a safe blue light into the oral cavity. Diseased tissues react differently to the light allowing the dentist to clearly differentiate betweeen normal and abnormal tissues.
An increasing number of insurance plans are beginning to cover this procedure. We are commited to ensuring the dental health of our patients. If your insurance carrier does not reimburse for this procedure, we are happy to provide this service for a nominal fee to cover our cost for the disposable cap that is used to ensure safe and accurate test results.
For more information call our office or visit www.velscope.com.
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