Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screening is one of the important reasons for maintaining regularly scheduled dental appointments. In the past this has been done with a visual exam. Oral cancer is often curable when detection, diagnosis, and treatment are performed early. Unfortunately, the tissue changes that lead to oral cancer actually start below the surface. These changes may not be visible to the naked eye until the disease progresses to the surface. We are one of the first dental offices in the nation to be able to offer our patients the most current state-of-the-art technology used in the diagnosis of oral cancer. It is called a VELscope and it is a revolutionary hand-held device that provides an easy-to-use instrument for early detection of oral cancer. It allows us to detect lesion that are below the surface. This demonstrates the incredible advantage of using the VELscope for cancer screening.

If it is determined that a biopsy is necessary, we have a soft tissue laser to perform the procedure which can minimize bleeding, infection, inflammation and soreness, or (if applicable) the patient may be referred to a specialist to have the biopsy performed.