Oral Cancer Facts

Oral cancer is a malignant growth that affects any part of the oral cavity, including the lips, upper or lower jaw, tongue, gums, cheeks, and throat. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, over age 40, use tobacco or alcohol or have a history of head or neck cancer. Understanding the causative factors of cancer will contribute to the prevention of the disease. Your health is important to us and you should schedule regular dental checkups with our staff at Maiden Lane Dental to detect oral cancer early when it is the easiest to treat.

The most common symptom of oral cancer is a sore in the mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal. Another common sign of oral cancer is developing pain in the mouth that does not go away. Our doctors at Maiden Lane Dental can examine the mouth and throat as part of a routine checkup if you are concerned about developing oral cancer. During regular checkups, abnormal tissue changes and oral cancer can be detected at its earliest stage when there is a greater chance for a cure.

If you are due for a dental checkup, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.maidenlanedental.comfor more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors here at Maiden Lane Dental in New York, NY, call 212-509-4585.

VELscope Technology

Oral cancer is often deemed the “forgotten disease” because it kills more people than testicular cancer, cervical cancer, and cancer of the brain each year and receives little publicity in return. Many people believe that if they abstain from tobacco and alcohol use, oral cancer will not affect them, however, sometimes it’s too late. Here at Maiden Lane Dental, Dr. Lloyd Becker utilizes VELscope technology to visualize oral tissue abnormalities, including cancer and pre-cancer.

The VELscope system is an adjunctive device which means it must be used together with and as a supplement to the traditional intra and extraoral head and neck exam. The VELscope handheld device emits a harmless, bright blue light which is used to inspect the mouth and tongue. The device is extremely sensitive to abnormal tissue changes and the distinctive blue-spectrum light causes the soft tissue of the mouth to naturally fluoresce. Healthy tissues fluoresce in distinct patterns that are visibly disrupted by trauma or disease, such as neoplastic lesions, and fungal, viral or bacterial infections.

To learn more about VELscope and other services offered at Maiden Lane Dental, visit www.maidenlanedental.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Lloyd Becker in New York, NY, call 212-509-4585.