VELscope - Oral Cancer Screening

Oral cancer is becoming more common, and it typically develops quietly without obvious symptoms. A late diagnosis makes treatment more challenging and reduces survival rates. Early detection significantly improves outcomes, and our VELscope screening technology enables us to detect potential problems before they become obvious.

VELscope is an FDA-approved handheld device that detects abnormalities in your oral tissues using fluorescence technology. We use a safe blue light to examine your mouth during the screening. Fluorescent green glows from healthy tissues, while dark green glows from abnormal or suspicious tissues.

Using this contrast, we can detect precancerous lesions, early stage cancers, and other changes in tissue that would otherwise go unnoticed on a standard visual examination. It detects disruptions in tissue structure, abnormal cellular activity, and changes in blood vessel patterns that often accompany early disease development.

VELscope screenings take only one to two minutes and don't require biopsies, incisions, or discomfort. Following your standard oral examination, we use the device to scan your lips, tongue, cheeks, throat, and other oral tissues. It doesn't require any preparation, and you can resume your normal activities immediately.

Who Should Be Screened

It is recommended that all patients receive an annual oral cancer screening as part of routine dental care, but certain factors raise the risk, making it more important to get screened every year:

• Tobacco Use: Use of tobacco products, including cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, significantly increases your risk of oral cancer
• Alcohol Consumption: Heavy or regular alcohol consumption, particularly in combination with tobacco, increases risk significantly
• HPV Infection: Certain strains of the human papillomavirus are associated with oral cancer
• Family History: Your risk of oral cancer may increase if there is a history of the disease in your family
• Previous Oral Cancer: Regular monitoring is essential if you've had oral cancer in the past
• Age: There is an increase in risk with age, particularly after 40 years old

Oral cancer can affect anyone, even if you don't have these risk factors. Regular screenings can help you prevent problems and detect them early.

What VELscope Can Detect

We can identify various abnormalities with this technology, including red or white patches in the mouth, precancerous dysplasia, early squamous cell carcinoma, and tissue changes associated with HPV, tobacco exposure, or alcohol use. We can identify suspicious areas, define their margins, or recommend biopsy if a definitive diagnosis needs to be made.

VELscope enhances but doesn't replace our comprehensive oral examination. It adds an additional layer of detection capability, increasing the chances that nothing suspicious goes unnoticed. Visual screening helps us to communicate findings with you more effectively, so that you can understand what we are seeing and why we might need to follow up.

Your Partner in Prevention

Getting a diagnosis early can save your life. Regular dental visits can protect your health by incorporating VELscope screenings. A quick, simple screening could make all the difference.

Schedule your comprehensive oral cancer screening today and take control of your oral health.