Oral cancer can emerge on the cheeks, tongue, salivary glands, lips, throat, and gums. In terminal stages, there can be mouth ulcers, sores, and/or red or white patches on the soft tissue that do not go away.
The good news, though, is that dental professionals at present are very committed to screening their patients for oral cancer. In fact, they use a modern-day oral cancer screening device known as Oral ID.
This high-tech device can save a life, performing a test in just two minutes. Indeed, since the early phases are not able to be seen by the naked eye alone, this device enables dental experts to detect even the mildest of changes.
What is more, this simple screening is a pain-free procedure. It makes use of light technology in order to distinguish between cancerous, abnormal, and healthy oral cells before a tumor becomes noticeable to the naked eye. It is worth mentioning that oral cancers that receive treatment earlier have an eighty-five percent cure rate. On the other hand, advanced cancers merely have fifty percent cure rate.
Besides the state-of-the-art field of digital imaging, dental professionals these days have a wide range of diagnostics systems and tools to pick from. Additionally, these systems can considerably help clinicians detect dental decay and caries and screen for potentially malignant oral lesions. They can also examine a patient’s saliva to clearly diagnose if they are at risk of periodontal diseases and other oral-related diseases.
Contemporary dental diagnostic tools comprise of a combination of specialized tests, digital systems, lights, and indicative materials.
The tools that can help in the discovery of a broad array of risk factors and conditions include:
- Oral cancer and lesion screening systems
- Bite sticks
- Oral cancer detection
- Salivary tests
- Shade-matching systems
- Specialized diagnostic lights
- Plaque detection dyes
- Caries detection solutions
What should dental professionals consider when choosing a dental diagnostic tool?
- Deciding what forms of diagnostics you will use is critical to your dental practice. This is the initial step in figuring out what types of equipment, systems, and tools you prefer to invest in.
- The next thing to consider is how the testing will suit the workflow of your practice.
- Return on investment is another valuable factor to ponder on.
Remember that a few of these diagnostics tests are not covered by dental insurance. Because of this, it is essential to learn how you plan to make the testing function for your practice. As with any latest technology or material you bring into the business, take note that proper training for you and your staff is critical. Additionally, a great amount of support from the manufacturer is an indispensable component for advancing in your latest diagnostic protocol.