The battle against oral cancer is taking a turn for the good at the SmileCreator in Bingham Farms with the introduction of Velscope screening by Dr. Timothy Kosinski, DDS.
Some 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer in 2011 alone and it will cause over 8,000 deaths by the end of the year. This means that roughly one person is dying per hour, 24 hours per day, all from something that could have been prevented or slowed with early detection.
Oral cancer is typically discovered in late stages, when the five-year survival rate is only about 22 per cent. Early detection of this cancer can increase the survival rate to more than 80 per cent. Oral cancer is one of the few types of cancer that have not seen significant reduction in incidence over the past 30 years.
?Oral cancer is a serious disease with a small survival rate if not discovered early,? says Dr. Kosinski, ?Since some 85 percent of the public are not aware that they had an oral exam or not, I have arranged for Velscope screening to be available to all my patients.?
Early detection of cancer may increase the survival rate to over 80%. It is suggested that 85% of the public are not aware that they had an oral examination.
Intra-oral cancer screening with Velscope technology utilizes a narrow band of high energy blue light that helps evaluate the oral tissue for abnormal areas in the mouth. Recent research has shown a strong association of oral cancer with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can be transmitted sexually.
Velscope is used to assist dentists in discovering cancerous or pre-cancerous growths in patients 18 and older that may not be apparent to the naked eye. Velscope detects early changes in the cells in the mouth where they become dysplastic or unhealthy. The Velscope blue spectrum light causes the soft tissues of the mouth to naturally fluoresce, looking like a green apple color. If there is an abnormality, a dysplasia or unhealthy cell, the oral health professional will see the green color turn black. If abnormalities are determined, more extensive tests, like biopsies, can be performed.
?The Velscope may be a great tool to use in intra oral screening,? explains Dr. Kosinski. ?The signs and symptoms of oral cancer include lumps in the lining inside the mouth, tongue numbness, lumps in the throat area, red or white lesions in the mouth and dark blue or black spots on the tongue.?
The screening is valued at $24 but Dr. Kosinski is offering the screening thru September 1, 2012 at only $5 per person. Appointments are requested.
The SmileCreator office is located at: 31000 Telegraph Rd., Suite 170, Bingham Farms, MI 48025. For more information visit:
http://www.smilecreator.net (248) 646-8651
About Dr. Timothy F. Kosinski, DDS, MAGD
Dr. Kosinski is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University Of Detroit Mercy School Of Dentistry and serves on the editorial review board of Reality, the information source for esthetic dentistry, Contemporary Esthetics and Clinical Advisors. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry, the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and the American Society of Osseointegration. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and received his Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Kosinski has received many honors including Fellowship in the American and International Colleges of Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry International, is a member of OKU and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Dr. Kosinski was the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Alumni Association?s ?Alumnus of the Year? in 2001. Dr. Kosinski has published over 80 articles on the surgical and prosthetic phases of implant dentistry and was a contributor to the textbook, Principles and Practices of Implant Dentistry.
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