If you smoke or have HPV, you should get tested for oral cancers. Schedule a checkup and screening by calling Shore Smiles Dental at (732) 747-4444.
Call Us TodayIn the United States, an estimated 36,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancers each year. When you include throat cancers, this number jumps to over 55,000 cases.
Lifestyle plays a role, but it’s not the only factor. Tobacco use puts individuals at a greater risk of developing oral cancers. But, a sizeable percentage of oral cancer patients have never used tobacco products.
40% of oral cancer patients succumb to the disease within 5 years.
Early detection and intervention can drastically improve the survival rate in patients with oral cancers. If precancerous cells are detected, the disease can be halted before it has a chance to spread to neighboring tissue.
The VELscope® Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment System is a handheld visualization scope that uses that natural fluorescence of mucosal tissue to find abnormalities not readily apparent to the naked eye, such as oral cancer and pre-malignant dysplasia. This diagnostic tool is recognized by the World Health Organization and has been used in more than 30 million examinations performed by over 20,000 dental practitioners.
VELscope® Vx screenings are fast and painless. Screenings can be performed in less than 5 minutes. More importantly, an oral cancer screening might just save your life.
A majority (approximately 90%) of oral cancer cells are squamous cell carcinomas. These are slow-growing cancerous cells. While there is a limited risk that these cancerous cells can spread to other areas of the body, such as vital organs, the cancer cells can become deeply embedded in adjacent tissue, making treatment difficult if the growth is allowed to metastasize for a prolonged period of time.
Here’s the good news. If precancerous cells — or even cancerous — are detected early, the rate of survival is fairly high.
Just like other health checkups, it’s recommended that you schedule an oral cancer screen each year. High-risk groups should make it a priority to get tested. High-risk groups include those who use tobacco products and have been diagnosed with HPV (human papillomavirus) or have a sexual partner that has been diagnosed with HPV.
To schedule an oral cancer screening with VELscope® Vx, contact our dentist in Lincroft today! Oral cancer screenings can be performed alongside other dental checkups, such as dental exams and cleanings.
