You have probably heard the saying “knowledge is power.” This is also true in dentistry. A thorough assessment of your oral health provides us with important information that helps us to create a plan to keep your smile in good shape.
Our emphasis of care is centered on prevention. Our goal is to teach our patients how to stop getting decay and how to prevent gum disease - this helps save time and money in keeping your smile healthy!
By maintaining a regular schedule of oral health visits, we can also address problems early. This can help avoid serious dental infections and give us the ability to monitor changes in your oral health more closely, which is vital in detection of oral cancer.
Some of the tools we use in the diagnostic process include:
X-rays, also called radiography, provide an important tool that shows the condition of your teeth, roots, jaw and overall facial bone composition that cannot be viewed with our own eyes. X-rays can reveal the advanced nature of periodontal (gum) disease, as well as tumors, and abscesses.
Digital imaging exposure time is about 50 percent less when compared to traditional film radiographs. The advantages of digital imaging enable us to not only store patient images, but also to quickly transfer them to specialists or insurance companies.
Oral cancer is sixth most common cancer in the US. If you see something that doesn't look right or has not been there before, it's time to ask. Maybe it's not just a common canker sore or a sore from biting your tongue or cheek. If it doesn't go away in a week or so, you should come in for an appointment. Early detection saves lives.
It is one of the few cancers in which the rate of detection is increasing among young adults. Most people are not aware of the potential risks; however, when detected early enough, the survival rate for oral cancer is very high.
At one time oral cancer was predominantly seen among smokers. However, increasingly, oral cancer is being seen in patients of all ages. Although smoking and smokeless tobacco is still a leading factor, many other criteria such as age, family history, ethnicity and alcoholic consumption also play a role.
We have recently incorporated a breakthrough technology that will allow us to see things we've been unable to see previously. By detecting potential problems earlier, we are providing our patients with the best oral health care currently available.
VELscope™ is a noninvasive procedure that only takes a few minutes. It utilizes a narrow band of safe, high-energy blue light and specialized filtering technology to help thoroughly evaluate the oral tissue for abnormal areas of concern, such as potentially cancerous lesions that may not be evident under white light.
Read more about VELscope™ at www.velscope.com
Spread the word about the risk of oral cancer. Contact Sprayberry Dental Associates of Marietta today to learn more about oral cancer screening.