With over 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year, oral cancer has become the sixth deadliest cancer in the world. In fact, oral cancer claims the life of one American every hour. That is why at American Dental Wellness, we take this issue very seriously and strive to provide the best detection and prevention methods possible with our oral cancer screening.
Oral Cancer Risk Factors
- Age – 90% of people diagnosed are over the age of 40
- Prevalent alcohol and tobacco use
- Family history of cancer
Oral cancer is not limited to just older people or alcohol and tobacco users, more and more people under the age of 40 are being diagnosed as well, and 25% of all people diagnosed do not drink alcohol or use tobacco products. Unfortunately, most cases go untreated and the cancer is not discovered until the late stages of development, the reason why oral cancer has such a high mortality rate. Early detection is crucial; 90% of oral cancers are curable if discovered early.
ViziLite Screening
To ensure the most efficient detection methods are being utilized, American Dental Wellness now uses Vizilite, a system that utilizes light screening technology to discover soft tissue abnormalities and lesions, in combination with a normal visual examination. The Vizilite procedure is painless and non-evasive:
- You rinse with a cleansing solution, then your mouth is scanned with the Viziite light
- Normal tissue will absorb the light and appear dark and abnormal tissue will turn white
- Based on the results, we will determine the nature of the abnormality
- It is recommended that all adults should be screened annually
Oral Cancer is a serious health risk and should not be taken lightly. Early detection is key to prevention, so please do not hesitate to schedule an exam, including a full oral cancer screening, at American Dental Wellness.
