EARLY DETECTION OF ORAL CANCER
It’s probably not something you think of when you go to see your dentist, however advances in technology allow us to do a lot more than ever before.
Every year, roughly 800 Australian’s people die from oral cancer, and the dreadful thing is you can receive oral cancer treatment, if it’s detected early enough.
Unfortunately, almost two thirds of all cases go undetected until they are at an advanced stage, when they become more difficult to treat.
That’s why we use the Velscope lesion detection system to quickly examine
all of our patients, letting us know if there’s any signs of early stage oral cancer.
The Velscope is a light based system that uses a special filter to makes abnormal cells appear darker than the surrounding tissue. We can also see if the discolouration is caused by an injury or infection, rather than cell changes, and if cancer is a possibility – we’ll refer you to a specialist for further assessment and treatment.
If you’ve never been for oral cancer screening before, we’d highly recommend you do so, especially if you’ve ever smoked before. Consider it an important part of your oral cancer prevention strategy. Lock it in for once an year, and you’re done.
When cancers are detected early enough, there’s about a 300% higher survival rate than when they’re detected late. So why wouldn’t you? It takes minutes, it completely painless, and could even save your life.
The Velscope also helps to detect a range of other issues, that are much easily handled in the early stages.
- viral, fungal and bacterial infections
- inflammation eg. lichen planus and other lichenoid reactions
- squamous papillomas
- salivary gland tumours and other lesions
Like all cancer’s, sometimes they just happen for no apparent reason, however we know for sure, that the following factors increase your chance of oral cancer.
Smoking
Tobacco is considered to be the main cause of mouth cancer, with three in four cases being linked to smoking.
Drinking
Drinking in excess is also a known factor, with those who smoke and drink to excess being up to 30 times more likely to be at risk.
Poor diet
Especially a diet that’s low in fruits and vegetables, leading to a vitamin A deficiency.
Human Papilloma virus (HPV)
There is a proven link between oral cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV),
a sexually transmitted virus.
So if you’ve never had an oral cancer screening before, please let us know, and we’ll schedule one in during your next regular appointment.
Specialised Dental Services
Preventive & Elective Dental
© 2021 Cosmic Smile Pty Ltd – 02 9904 2880
info@cosmicsmile.com.au
Dentist Neutral Bay Sitemap
Address: A: 212/40 Yeo St., Neutral Bay NSW 2089,
Australia
P: 02 9904 2880