Oral Cancer Screening Sterling Heights

Early Detection of Oral Cancer

Americans have made great strides in treating cancer. Unfortunately, oral cancer lags behind our general progress. While cancer rates and deaths have decreased for most cancers, oral cancer rates have increased by 5.5%. In addition, the death rate has increased by 1.5%. This is primarily because oral cancers are often detected in the late stages when it has spread and is harder to treat. That’s why oral cancer screening is so important. Oral cancer is 90% curable when it’s detected in its early stages.

Let Skowronski Family Dentistry help you protect yourself from the risks of oral cancer. As much as 25% of people with oral cancer have no lifestyle risk factors, which is why we recommend that everyone over age 40 gets oral cancer screening annually. We utilize VELscope, a highly effective and noninvasive approach to detecting suspicious lesions that might be cancerous. Our office encourages patients to have VELscope done yearly as a preventive method to combat oral cancer.

Early Detection Is Critical

Oral cancer survival rates for oral cancers have not improved significantly over the last 40 years. In fact, one American dies of oral cancer every hour of every day. Oral cancer is 90% treatable when it’s detected in the early stages. However, because it’s often detected late, the five-year survival rate for oral cancer is only 57%.

To improve the overall survival rate for oral cancers, Skowronski Family Dentistry is doing our part by performing oral cancer screening annually for all patients age 40 and over (90% of oral cancer victims are over 40) and younger for patients with risk factors like tobacco and alcohol use.

To make oral cancer screening as quick, effective, and noninvasive as possible, we use VELscope® Vx.

How VELscope Vx Works

In looking for cancers, we examine your mouth for suspicious lesions that might be cancerous.. VELscope Vx helps us tell the difference through the phenomenon of autofluorescence.

When hit with the right color of blue light, oral mucosa will give off green light. However, precancerous lesions do not. When hit with this same color of light, they remain dark.

With VELscope Vx, we shine the proper color of light in your mouth and look for dark areas. If we find them, we may recommend an additional screening, such as a biopsy.

Early cancer screening with VELscope Vx is quick—it takes just two minutes—and highly effective. Clinical studies show that it could be up to 100% effective at detecting malignant lesions.

Get Oral Cancer Screening

If you are concerned about the potential risk of oral cancer, it’s important to get screened for this deadly cancer at least once a year. If you are overdue for an oral cancer screening in Sterling Heights, MI, let Skowronski Family Dentistry help. Please call (586) 977-8413 today for an appointment.

Monday	10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday	2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday	9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday	7:00 AM – 3:00 PM