In our continuing effort to enhance patient care, Bal Dental Centre is proud to announce the inclusion of the Oral Cancer Screening as an important part of our annual comprehensive exam protocol. This exam is used after our standard visual oral cancer examination to help detect suspicious areas that lie underneath the surface of the tissues, which are not detectable with the naked eye.
It is very safe, simple and completely painless. No radiation, chemicals or dyes are used. This exam uses the latest fluorescence technology(velscope) in conjunction with a special lens used by the clinician to enhance visual perception, which gives us a better chance of finding oral abnormalities at an early stage. Early detection of precancerous tissue can minimize or eliminate the potentially disfiguring effects of oral cancer and possible save lives. When found at an early stage of development (stage 1 or 2) oral cancer patients have an 80-90% survival rate. Late detection of oral cancer is the primary reason that mortality rates are so high.
Risk factors for oral cancer include:
-Age 17 and over
-Tobacco use
-Alcohol use
-HPV infection
Although tobacco use is a major predisposing risk factor, 25% of oral cancer victims have no lifestyle risk factors. One person dies every hour from oral cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society states that “more women in the US will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year than will be diagnosed with cervical cancer”. Current studies show an increasing link between the human papilloma virus (HPV) and oral cancer.
The implementation of the Oral Cancer Screening evaluation at Bal Dental Centre is another example of our commitment to our patients to offer the latest, safest and best in modern dentistry.
