Oral Cancer Screening
In many cases, oral cancer is diagnosed when white lesions appear on the soft tissues in the mouth. By the time we can see these spots, it may be too late to save the patient. Recent advances have produced diagnostic tools that detect oral cancer before the lesions are visible to the naked eye, increasing the cure rate to greater than 80%!
As our patient, you will receive an oral cancer assessment at each checkup. We use ViziLite Plus with TBlue 630, a safe, convenient, and effective diagnostic and marking system. You will simply rinse with a special solution, then we'll examine your mouth's soft tissues with the help of a low-energy light. The solution makes underlying oral cancer cells visible as white patches.
We mark the white patches with TBlue 360, a safe dye that will show us where the suspect areas are after we remove the low-energy light. We will then take intraoral photographs to keep on file and send to your dental or medical insurance carrier.
Shocking Facts about Oral Cancer
- Oral cancer has killed one American every hour for 40 years.
- It is more prevalent than Hodgkin's disease and skin, cervical, brain, liver, testes, ovary, and kidney cancers.
- More than 25% of oral cancer victims do not use tobacco, alcohol, or have other lifestyle risks.
- While 30K people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year, only 57% will live more than five years.
Learn More about Oral Cancer
If you have questions about oral cancer or ViziLite technology, don't hesitate to call Bethesda Sedation Dentistry or schedule an appointment online. Dr. Dougherty, Dr. Klotz, Dr. Schlossberg, and our team will be happy to help you get on the path to optimal oral health. We proudly serve residents of Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville, Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and beyond.