DENTAL EMERGENCY TREATMENT

In addition to the manual oral cancer exam, some dentists are now using VELscope. VELscope is an FDA-approved early oral cancer screening detection device. It is not a replacement for the traditional oral exam performed by your dentist, but a tool used in combination. VELscope allows your dentist to see abnormalities in the tissues in your mouth that aren’t visible to the human eye, those below the surface that your dentist can’t see yet.

The dentist begins an oral cancer screening by performing an examination of your neck, lymph glands, cheeks, tongue and lips. The dentist will then use the hand-held VELscope device to check inside your mouth for suspicious-looking tissue. VELscope emits a safe blue light into the oral cavity, which excites the tissue, causing it to fluoresce. Abnormal tissue typically appears as an irregular, dark area that stands out against the otherwise normal, green fluorescence pattern of surrounding healthy tissue.

The VELscope screening takes one or two minutes and does not require any special rinses or stains. Your dentist should give you protective glasses to wear while the VELscope is being used.