VELscope Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer is diagnosed in an estimated 50,000 people in the U.S. every year, but often in late stages. This type of cancer can be invasive, and there may not be any symptoms until it has progressed to a dangerous stage. If detected early, oral cancer has a high treatment success rate, but this requires diligence in looking for early warning signs. Muccioli Dental offers VELscope oral cancer screening at our dental center in Johns Creek, GA.
What Are the Symptoms of Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer often does not have recognizable symptoms until later in the progression of the disease. However, catching it as early as possible is the best hope for successful treatment before it spreads to other areas of the body. Some of the possible symptoms you may experience if you have oral cancer include:
- Lumps in your gums or soft oral tissues
- White or red spots inside your mouth
- Sores inside your mouth that do not heal
- Hoarse throat
- Difficulty swallowing
If you notice any changes in the tissues in your mouth or have throat symptoms that last for more than one or two weeks, you should come to our office for an oral checkup or VELscope screening.
What Is VELscope?
At Muccioli Dental, we have invested in a VELscope oral cancer screening device that can detect changes in the oral tissues that indicate cancer growth. The device uses blue spectrum light that can illuminate changes to the tissue. When abnormal lesions are present, it highlights these areas in different colors that can be seen using the VELscope system. This device can detect tiny changes not visible to the naked eye, which may catch oral cancer in its earliest stages when it is easier to treat.
VELscope oral cancer screening can be performed during your regular checkups, and it is not invasive or painful. We can also perform this screening if you have any symptoms of oral cancer. Contact us at Muccioli Dental in Johns Creek, GA, to schedule your visit.