Oral Cancer Screening (VELscope) in Newburyport, MA
Are you looking for a dentist near you for oral cancer screenings in Newburyport, MA? At Newburyport Family Dental, we perform and recommend oral cancer screenings to all of our patients. Certain people are at a higher risk of developing oral cancer, so screening them is a priority.
At Newburyport Family Dental in Newburyport, MA, we realize that coming in for oral cancer screening near you might not be pleasant. Rest assured that we’ll do everything we can to keep you comfortable during screening. As dentists in Newburyport, MA, we don’t take too long while screening patients.
Who Is at Risk of Oral Cancer?
Anyone can get oral cancer even if they have none of the risk factors we’re going to talk about. The presence of risk factors makes it more likely for a person to get oral cancer but doesn’t mean that they will certainly get it. Patients with a family or personal history of oral cancer are more likely to develop the condition than others.
Smoking is a major risk factor. The risk is directly affected by how long the person has been smoking and how many cigarettes they smoke each day. People who consume too much alcohol are also at risk.
Oral Cancer Screenings Using the VELscope
The VELscope is a device that helps us provide more effective oral cancer screenings. The first step is to look inside the mouth and feel around with our fingers. We look and feel for irregularities like masses and ulcers.
In cancer’s earliest stages, we might not detect anything with the naked eye. The VELscope, however, can give us more information. It emits specific waves of light that will be reflected by the mucosa. Abnormal mucosa will reflect light differently from normal mucosa and will alert us that there might be some changes.
The presence of changes detected by the VELscope is not a diagnosis of cancer. More steps will be taken to accurately diagnose the irregularity. It might be inflammation, a pre-cancerous lesion, or cancer. Give us a call to schedule an appointment if you have any questions or concerns about your oral health!