The VELscope emits specific wavelengths of blue spectrum light into your mouth to stimulate natural tissue fluorescence which can be viewed directly through the VELscope. Research has shown that the VELscope can help find abnormal tissue that might have unnoticed by the naked eye.
If your dentist or hygienist finds something unusual that needs further investigation, don’t panic, it doesn’t mean that you have oral cancer! There are all sorts of conditions that can lead to abnormalities in your oral mucosa and most of them are unrelated to oral cancer. Some of them will go away on their own and some may require some sort of action on the part of the clinician to resolve. In these circumstances, you may be asked to come for a follow-up visit so that the area can be reassessed and, occasionally, your dentist may refer you to a specialist for a biopsy. Biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing abnormal tissue.
If oral cancer is discovered early, the 5-year relative survival rate is over 85%. If discovered late, it is only about 40%. This year, about 54,000 people in the USA will be diagnosed with oral/oropharyngeal cancer and nearly 11,000 will die. Early detection is key.
Certain lifestyle choices can have a great impact on the health of tissues and your overall health in the mouth. If you are a smoker or heavy drinker, make sure to get regular screenings when you visit the dentist.