Advanced Oral Cancer Screening
Get Your OralID
OralID detects advanced oral cancer quickly and painlessly. In Dr. Ford Gatgens’ Dickson, TN, dental office, we believe in being proactive wherever possible, and OralID light technology helps us do just that.
Contact our dental office today to find out about booking an oral cancer screening. With how easy and painless it is to get screened for oral cancer, you owe it to yourself to do this.
About OralID
OralID leverages a fluorescence light technology to expose areas of the oral tissue that could signify oral cancer, pre-cancer, or other abnormal lesions. The quick and easy test illuminates potential problems to be further assessed.
The tissue that is seen as darker represents something that could be or could become a problem. The benefit of using the technology is that we can find potential issues earlier, and earlier treatment means increased survival rates and lives saved!
If your test comes back positive, Dr. Gatgens and his team will order further testing to help identify or rule out oral cancer. A positive test does NOT mean something is cancer, but only that we may need to take a closer look at it to rule out certain things.
Survival rates for oral cancer are 80%-90% if found early in the Stages I & II, but the problem is most oral cancers are found in the later stages resulting in a mortality rate of 43% at a five-year diagnosis.
Oral cancer kills someone every single hour in the United States, and the incidence rate has been on the rise over the past six years. The earlier you detect it, the better the chances for recovery.
Yes, there are some risk factors that increase your chances of developing oral cancer, like smoking and heavy alcohol use, as well as heredity, but even if you don’t smoke or drink heavily and have never heard of a relative having oral cancer, there’s no substitute for screening.
Due to these trends above, Dr. Gatgens has implemented the F.A.C.T. Oral Health Protocol in his office in efforts to discover these abnormalities in the earliest of stages and potentially save lives.
The F.A.C.T. Oral Health Protocol, an acronym for Fluorescence Assessment Cytology Test, is a proactive approach to find early oral lesions, including oral cancer and HPV. OralID™, utilizing fluorescence technology, has the ability to “highlight” these irregularities in much earlier stages, before it is visible to your dental professional with a standard visual “white light” exam.
When a lesion is found; CytID™, a liquid-based cytology test, is utilized to diagnose the lesion and decide the proper plan of action.
Because an OralID screening is quick, painless, and inexpensive, it’s a great way to be proactive about your oral health. The latest reason oral cancer is on the rise is the HPV-16 (human papilloma virus version 16).
The virus can be transmitted from mother to child and is responsible for about 60% of oropharyngeal cancer. Often the virus can go undetected without any sign or symptoms, and three out of four people are affected with HPV at some point in their lives.
Oral cancer symptoms include:
- Sores on your gums
- Oral discolorations
- Sudden inexplicable changes, such as pain or loosening teeth.
- Lumps or bumps that do not go away
- Difficulty swallowing
If you notice anything unusual in your mouth with the teeth or the gums it’s best to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. There may be other reasons for these symptoms or it could be a sign that you need treatment as soon as possible.
Oral Cancer can be brewing long before you notice symptoms but screening for Oral Cancer can help you significantly improve your chances of complete recovery.
Dental Biopsies
You may need a dental biopsy to examine a specific area or questionable spot in the oral cavity for further diagnostic examination. This technique can be done often with minimal anesthetic and no sutures required after the procedure due to the quality and minimal discomfort caused by the laser.
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Learn About Cancer & Gum Disease
Cancer and teeth. Who would have thought those two were connected? According to increasing research, gum disease can increase your risk of all sorts of cancers, from pancreatic cancer to lung cancer and even blood cancer.