VELscope

I'm very proud of the latest addition to my practice. It's called a VELscope. It's an easy to use instrument that can see oral cancer lesions before they are visible to the naked eye. Every patient will be examined with this instrument at every check up. It only takes a few minutes and it's totally painless, because the only thing that touches you is a beam of light. There will be no additional charge because I don't want anyone saying "No thanks"...it's that important. Early detection can save your life.

VELscope is a revolutionary hand-held device that provides dentists and hygienists with an easy-to-use adjunctive mucosal examination system for the early detection of abnormal tissue. It is based on the direct visualization of tissue fluorescence and the changes in fluorescence that occur when abnormalities are present.

The VELscope Handpiece emits a safe blue light into the oral cavity, which excites the tissue from the surface of the epithelium through to the basement membrane (where premalignant changes typically start) and into the stroma beneath, causing it to fluoresce. The clinician is then able to immediately view the different fluorescence responses to help differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue. In fact, VELscope is the only non-invasive adjunctive device clinically proven to help discover occult oral disease.

Did you know?

• Oral cancer kills one person every hour of every day in North America
• Oral cancer has three times as many victims as cervical cancer
• You are at an increased risk of developing oral cancer if you smoke, drink alcohol, and/or are over 40
• Alarmingly, while many of oral cancer victims are tobacco users, more and more are not. Recent studies have demonstrated a strong association between oropharyngeal cancer and exposure to HPV-16.
• Nearly half of oral cancer patients are expected to die within 5 years of diagnosis, but it is 80 to 90% survivable if diagnosed early
• Unfortunately, only 35% of oral cancer cases are diagnosed in the early stages
• Fortunately, the VELscope System can help your dentist detect oral mucosal abnormalities that may not be visible or apparent to the naked eye, such as oral cancer or pre-malignant dysplasia.

Digital X-Rays

The most exciting new development in the office lately has been the addition of digital x-rays. In June, 2007 my entire x-ray system was upgraded to the latest digital equipment and software. Each operatory has it's own computer and flat screen monitor.

Today, X-rays are no longer taken using large AC x-ray cones and film. Now I use low power, smaller DC units and digital x-ray sensors. There are many benefits, including dramatically lower radiation requirements, and large clear images that both the patient and I can look at.

Intra Oral Camera

Another addition to my practice this year has been the digital intra oral camera. About the size of a small flashlight, it can take high resolution photographs of your teeth and display them on the monitor in full color. Many patients are amazed when they see things that they have never seen before, namely their back teeth!

The camera is very helpful during an examination because the patient will have a complete understanding of the condition of his or her dentition...because they can see it with their own eyes.

Dento-Surg™ Radiolase© II - Radiosurgical Device

This fantastic instrument is used to reshape an uneven gum line. It uses high frequency radio waves to quickly contour gum tissue. This is helpful during a "smile makeover" so that new laminates and crowns appear even and straight.

The Rembrandt Saphire Light

This powerful ultra-violet light bonds small fillings in 3 seconds and large fillings in 5 seconds. This is especially handy when a patient requires multiple fillings as the time required to complete this procedure is short.