Toronto Oral Cancer Screening

Early Detection with Painless Exam Is Your Best Protection.

People at risk of oral cancer are those who use tobacco and alcohol, as well as anyone over 40 years of age.

However, statistics show that over 25% of oral cancer patients do not exhibit any of these risk factors and this year alone over 30,000 North Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer. As with any type of cancer, early detection is the most critical factor in defeating this disease.

In the past, dental professionals would rely solely on questions about your lifestyle or drinking habits, along with their eyes and hands to form a diagnosis about your oral health. Using their fingers, dentists would detect lumps or any irregular swelling in the mouth or throat area. With the introduction of VELscope, your dentist now has more accurate technology at their disposal to diagnosis your oral health.

What is VELscope?

VELscope (Visually Enhanced Lesion Scope) is a Health Canada approved technology that can detect oral cancer through the use of visual information. This compact and cordless tool emits blue-spectrum lighting causing the soft tissues of the mouth to fluoresce in distinctive patterns. Healthy tissue will emit consistent patterns while any oral abnormalities will ?disrupt? patterns and appear dark if there had been any trauma or disease. The visual distinction allows dentists to clearly see if there has been any abnormal cell growth in the mouth, benefiting your overall oral health.

Potential Signs of Oral Cancer

• Bleeding
• Loose teeth
• White or red patches
• Swelling or lumps
• Difficulty swallowing or speaking
• Facial paralysis

Benefits of VELscope

• Can detect pre-cancer cells
• Once a tumour has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body) it is harder to treat. VELscope is able to detect pre-cancer cells up to two years before they are visible to the naked eye.
• Visual Aid
• Fluorescence visualization technology to identify any abnormal oral tissue and it can also be purchased with a digital camera system that provides real-time photo documentation for your files and as a takeaway item for clients.
• Time effective
• A VELscope examination only last two minutes long and is easy to incorporate as part of your six month checkup or, at the very least, a part of your annual examination.

While abnormal areas spotted by the VELscope do not necessarily point to oral cancer, it might help in discovering other oral abnormalities so contact us and make it a part of your routine dental checkup today!