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Putnam Dental Associates PC Offers Advanced Oral
Cancer Screening
VELscope®
Device Helps Dental
Practices Respond to Recent Growth
in Incidence of Oral Cancer
 Putnam Dental Associates PC has
incorporated the VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening System into its
dental practice.
Oral cancer strikes three
times as many victims as cervical cancer. It is one of the few types of cancer
that has not seen a significant reduction in incidence over the past thirty
years, and recent research has shown a strong association with Human Papilloma
Virus (HPV), which can be sexually transmitted. For this reason, many oral
health care professionals now believe that all individuals over the age of 18
should have at least an annual comprehensive oral examination, and ideally at every dental hygiene visit.
The FDA and Health Canada
recently cleared the VELscope® System for assisting dentists and
hygienists in discovering cancerous or precancerous growths that may not be
apparent to the naked eye. A screening with the VELscope® System adds
only one or two minutes to a conventional examination, is completely free of any
pain or discomfort, and is affordably priced. More and more insurance companies
are covering the cost of the screening.
Oral cancer is typically
discovered in late stages, when the five-year survival rate is only 22%. If
detected in early stages, however, the five-year survival rate is 80% or
higher. The VELscope® System can also help discover abnormal growths
before they become cancerous. According to
Dr. Ern of Putnam Dental Associates PC, “We have always conducted an annual
comprehensive oral cancer screening for all of our patients, but now the
VELscope® System will help us see things we might have missed
previously. By detecting potential problems earlier, we will be providing our
patients with the best health care currently available”.
For
more information regarding the VELscope® System, visit
www.velscope.com, or call Putnam Dental Associates PC at (888) 830-3150
with any questions and to schedule an appointment.
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