When it comes to dentistry, most patients don’t think about the idea of checking for oral cancers or other oral issues not directly related to teeth. Regardless, it should be taken more seriously in a time when oral cancers have increased over the last five years, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

Considering many of those oral cancers can be hidden deep inside regions of the mouth, they used to be impossible to see. In those scenarios, many mouth cancers were discovered in late stages due to their undetectability. But thanks to better technology, things are starting to change.

Here at Weatherhill Dental, we use a device called the VELscope that’s revolutionizing how oral cancers and other oral issues are being discovered. We use the VELscope here at our practice and can demonstrate to you exactly how it works without taking any time at all.

How the VELscope Works

This device is a simple, handheld scope that can see into oblique angles of your mouth to check for cancers. It works simply because we don’t have to use any dyes or longer testing systems to gain a clear picture of any abnormalities inside your mouth. What makes it especially useful for you and us is that the VELscope exam can be done in just two minutes, meaning you can incorporate it into your next dental checkup or cleaning.

The Technology Inside the VELscope

The device is notable because it uses blue-spectrum light to easier detect anything abnormal within your mouth or tongue. By creating fluorescent light, certain cancers can easier show up in the imaging. To the naked eye, these cancerous spots wouldn’t even be visible without using the VELscope.

Used in Conjunction with the Comprehensive Oral Exam

If you’ve been to the dentist before, then you know we always give a comprehensive head and neck exam during your checkup to check for basic signs of cancer. We’ve long understood the limitations of this check, however, and the VELscope is adding more comprehensive ability to scope out oral cancers early. Nevertheless, we’ll never stop incorporating the comprehensive oral exam as an adjunct to the VELscope scans.

Along with being able to find oral cancers early for better outcomes, the VELscope can also easier find oral infections that are viral, fungal or bacterial in nature. It can also scope out what’s causing oral inflammations. Salivary gland tumors are even found much easier with the device.

Contact us to set up a demonstration of the VELscope device. While the prospect of oral cancers might sound scary, we’ll give you peace of mind in knowing that an oral cancer hasn’t been in there undetected for months. Early detection, though, is essential and where recovery chances are more than good.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VELSCOPE