Did you know that April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month? Since we’re concerned about your complete oral health here at Findlay Dental Group, we want to keep you informed about the importance of getting screened for oral cancer.
Oral cancer is diagnosed in nearly 50,000 people every year. It is a serious disease: its 5-year survival rate is under 60%. It is so dangerous because it often goes undiagnosed for much too long. It is fairly simple to detect and diagnose, but since it usually causes no initial symptoms, people don’t think to get checked. In fact, it is often only after it has metastasized to another area that it is detected, and by then it has a far worse prognosis.
That is why at Findlay Dental Group we provide oral cancer screenings with each dental examination. Traditional oral cancer exams rely only on what the doctor can see or feel, and this means that premalignant tissues can be literally overlooked. That is why we use VELscope® VX technology. This is a special light that helps identify abnormal tissues that might evade traditional examination methods. Of course (thankfully) not all abnormalities are cancerous, but oral cancer found at its earliest stage can be treated with more than 90% success.
If you have questions about our oral cancer screening process or want to schedule an appointment, call our Findlay, OH, office today. To learn more about oral cancer, including symptoms, risk factors, and treatments, visit the Oral Cancer Foundation at www.oralcancer.org.