VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening

Oral Cancer Screening

Oral cancer is often deemed the “forgotten disease,” because it kills more people than testicular cancer, cervical cancer and cancer of the brain each year and receives little publicity in return. Each year, over 30,000 Americans contract oral cancer, and only 57% of these people will live for more than five years without treatment.

Many people believe that if they abstain from tobacco and alcohol use, oral cancer will not affect them. Tobacco and alcohol use does contribute to oral cancer; however, 25% of those diagnosed abstain from both substances.

The best way to stay protected from oral cancer is to get annual oral cancer screenings. Dr. Phillips performs an oral cancer exam as part of every dental examination. In addition to a traditional visual and physical oral cancer exam, Dr. Phillips employs a newer technique, the FDA-approved VELscope® which helps detect oral cancer in its earliest stages.

Some of the advantages of using the VELscope® System include:

• Can be combined with digital photography.
• Detects lesions, white and red patches.
• Detects problem areas that cannot be seen under white light.
• Exposes precancerous and cancerous tissue.
• FDA-approved.
• Helps dentists check that diseased soft tissue is completely removed.
• Help diagnose oral cancer in its earliest stages, exponentially increasing the chance of survival.
• Quick, painless examinations.