Cosmetic Dentist - Vizilite Oral Cancer Screening

Phoenix, Scottsdale and Payson, AZ.

One of the advancements in the past five years that we are most excited to see is the advancement in screening techniques for oral cancer.

In the past, most dentists have relied on visual observation alone to detect oral cancer. The low detection rate prompted the American Dental Association in 1995 to call for manufacturers to develop better diagnostic techniques.

Vizilite Oral Cancer screening is the technique that we use in our office to detect oral cancer.

Oral Cancer Statistics

You may be surprised to know that every hour an American dies from oral cancer. That death rate has not changed for over 40 years. The American Cancer Society recently published statistics showing that oral cancer has increased by 5.5 percent and its death rate by 1.5 percent. Yet the corresponding statistics for cancers in general have decreased.

The U.S. death rate for oral cancer is higher than for:

• Cervical cancer
• Hodgkin's disease
• Cancer of the brain
• Liver cancer
• Cancer of the testes
• Kidney cancer; or
• Ovarian cancer.

This year, over 30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer and five years from now, only 57 percent of them will still be living.

Who is at Risk for Oral Cancer?

Although one might think that only those who use tobacco or alcohol to excess would be vulnerable to oral cancer, studies have shown that 27 percent of oral cancer victims do not use those substances and have no other lifestyle risk factors either.

At increased risk are:

• People aged 18-39 without lifestyle risk factors (tobacco and alcohol use) who are sexually active

At high risk are:

• People aged 40 and older without lifestyle risk factors
• Tobacco users of any age

At highest risk are:

• People aged 40 and older with lifestyle risk factors
• People with a history of oral cancer

How Vizilite Cancer Screening Works

• You rinse with a cleansing solution.
• Dr Winterholler will examine your mouth using Vizilite, a specially designed light technology.
• If a suspicious lesion is detected, it will be marked with T-blue (a blue dye) and documented. If necessary we will biopsy and send you to an oral surgeon for further evaluation.

We recommend a Vizilite Plus exam annually when you come for your regular dental check-up.

If You are Sexually Active

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is an extremely common sexually transmitted infection and especially prevalent in young adults. Few people even know they have it. HPV has long been known to cause cervical cancer and now studies suggest it also plays a role in more than 20 percent of all oral cancer cases.

Early Diagnosis is Crucial

About 70 percent of oral cancers are not diagnosed until they have reached a late stage – Stage III or Stage IV. That means the five-year survival rate is only 57 percent. Early diagnosis can tremendously extend your survival prospects and when oral cancer is found in its early stages, it is 90 percent curable.

Treatments for oral cancer can often disfigure the face and seriously impair quality of life. Why not avoid the problems of late-stage diagnosis by coming regularly for a Vizilite Cancer Screening at our comprehensive dental office?

Please contact our highly qualified preventive care dentists for your complimentary consultation. Our two offices serve the areas of Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Payson, Arizona.