At ArtWork Dental, we screen every patient for oral cancer. One person per hour in the United States dies of oral cancer, and the risk has increased over 300% in the past thirty years. There will be over 10,000 cases diagnosed this year alone. This is why we feel it’s important to our patients to know whether they are at risk.

This is especially true since there are generally no symptoms for oral cancer, which makes it unusually difficult to detect before it’s life-threatening. Over 80% of those afflicted with oral cancer said that they hadn’t detected any symptoms at all before it was diagnosed in advanced stages by their doctors.

The Velscope® cancer “flashlight” test

Our next test involves using a Velscope® VX test, another non-invasive procedure.

This involves pointing a little blue-beamed (non-laser) flashlight in your mouth, and checking a screen for colors. The Velscope’s patented ‘ring-of-light’ illumination element causes healthy cells in the mouth to fluoresce, emitting a bright green glow. By contrast, potential areas of concern will appear dark when viewed against the healthy tissue.

It takes less than a minute, and has allowed us to detect oral cancer—one of the fastest-growing cancers today in both smokers and non-smokers alike—early enough to ensure successful treatment. It’s a simple step, but one we consider essential to your overall health.

Learn more about the testing Dr. Work provides to keep you mouth healthy!

Oral HPV Testing

Oral DNA Testing