Routine dental exams are essential in maintaining good oral hygiene. Even when you think nothing is wrong, a dental exam helps your dentist identify and address small issues early enough to prevent serious pain and financial burdens. Routine exams now include VELscope technology, giving your dentist an even better view. So what is VELscope, and how does it help your dentist? Let’s take a look.
What is VELscope Oral Screening?
During an oral exam, your dentist or hygienist checks the lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, palate, and other areas of the mouth. VELscope adds another layer to that exam. The handheld device uses a special blue light to highlight differences in oral tissue that sometimes go unnoticed under normal lighting. Healthy oral tissue typically produces a consistent fluorescence pattern. Any irregularities in tissue structure, including those that may be indicative of potential cancerous growths (precancerous), tend to absorb the blue light, causing the affected area(s) to darken in comparison to adjacent tissues. The entire VELscope process only takes a couple of minutes and requires no rinsing, dyes, or scraping.
Advantages of VELscope Exams
Oral cancer is prevalent among individuals across various demographics. While tobacco use and excessive consumption of alcohol are still significant risk factors, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is increasingly contributing to cancers found within the back of the throat and tongue. Age, immune function, sun damage to the lips, and individual medical history also shape each person’s risk profile. These risk factors make oral cancer screening more important than ever.
Benefits For Dental Professionals
Dental providers depend upon details to perform dentistry. Small variations in color, texture, shape, or appearance of oral tissue sometimes serve as indicators. VELscope enhances dental professionals’ ability to visualize soft tissues during examinations. It facilitates comparisons between questioned areas and adjacent tissue. This leads to better decisions about whether close monitoring or further investigation is warranted.
Further benefits include photo documentation, which aids in continuity of care in compatible systems. When a dental professional compares an area months later, they have a tangible reference point rather than relying solely on memory or written records.
VELscope technology fits easily into a comprehensive dental exam and adds very little time to the appointment.
Benefits for Patients
From a patient perspective, VELscope is a simple and comfortable screening experience. In most cases, the screening feels just as comfortable as the rest of an oral exam. The dental professional moves the VELscope light around the mouth while examining different tissues. No needles, dyes, or unpleasant preparations are required.
The main advantage for patients is that VELscope highlights often-overlooked areas of the mouth. As stated previously, your oral health includes more than just your teeth. All aspects of the tongue, cheeks, lips, roof of the mouth, bottom of the mouth, and surrounding soft tissues should receive periodic evaluations. VELscope supports this expanded view.
If everything appears healthy, patients enjoy increased peace of mind. If one or more abnormal areas appear, earlier follow-up can help identify their origin before more extensive symptoms develop.
A Comprehensive Dental Exam
A complete dental examination with your dentist in Placerville includes far more than simply looking for cavities. During a comprehensive examination, your Placerville dentist evaluates for signs of gum inflammation, erosion of tooth enamel, damage to restorations, changes in the way your upper and lower teeth fit together, infections of any kind, problems related to the jaw, and changes in the soft tissue of the oral cavity. Adding VELscope technology to a comprehensive dental exam enhances our ability to evaluate oral tissues that warrant closer inspection.
For a comprehensive dental exam in a comfortable and welcoming environment, contact the Placerville Dental Group. Our full-service dental office provides preventive, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency care with a friendly, caring dental team that takes time to listen, answer questions, and help patients feel at ease. Schedule an appointment today.
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