A defense against oral cancer

By STEVE WOOD
Courier-Post Staff

Brace yourself: A trip to the dentist's may save your life.

Along with checking for cavities and plaque, a dentist has tools to check for oral cancer

Detected in about 34,000 Americans and often too late, oral cancer can be caught early through a ViziLite Plus screening, which, in addition to VELscope Vantage, are the leading detection technologies most commonly seen in the marketplace.

In addition to such tactics as visual aid, palpitation and touch, Dr. Melvin Pierson of Pierson Dental Associates in Sickerville has used ViziLite to bring to light potential cancerous matters otherwise undetectable to touch and the naked eye. The device illuminates membranes when used in combination with an acetic acid rinse.

"It provides the dental community a very thorough diagnosis of oral cancer or a suspected oral-cancer region," Pierson says of ViziLite. "It makes the abnormal cells brighter. If you have cancer in the cell, it makes the abnormal cell jump out."

Although deadlier than other cancers such as cervical, brain, ovarian and skin, oral cancer is one of the most treatable forms when found early.

The most common sites for oral cancer are the tongue, the floor of the mouth, tissues in back of the tongue, lips and gums, according to the Academy of General Dentistry.

If not diagnosed and treated in its early stages, oral cancer can spread, leading to chronic pain, loss of function, irreparable facial and oral disfigurement following surgery and even death.

Doctors recommend that patients should be screened for oral cancer at least once a year. Convincing patients of this, however, can be like pulling teeth, Pierson says.

"The general public just doesn't quite rate oral cancer as high up as breast cancer or prostate cancer," he says. "I just don't think people know how serious it is. A lot of them are making their decision based on what their insurance pays."

An oral screening takes all of three minutes to perform, costs between $65 to $75 and is often not covered by insurance. People age 18 and older should be screened annually noting the risks increase with age, Pierson says.

"If you're 35, you're at risk," says Pierson. "If you drink alcohol and you use tobacco, that increases the risk of having oral cancer exponentially."

Pierson points out that between 25 and 30 percent of oral cancer cases deal with people who don't smoke or use alcohol. Reach Steve Wood at (856) 486-2474 or at swood@courierpostonline.com