Ames Dentist Offers Free Oral Cancer Screenings

EXPRESSIONS DENTAL OFFERS FREE CANCER SCREEN IN APRIL

During Oral Cancer Awareness Month in April, Expressions Dental is offering free oral cancer screenings. The screen is painless, takes only minutes and is performed using state-of-the-art technology. The no obligation screenings are open to those 18 and over – you don’t need to be a current patient to participate – and can be scheduled by calling (515) 232-0558.

Doctors John Clary and Jordan Crawford of Expression Dental have incorporated the VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening System into their dental practice. The technology allows for the painless detection of oral cancers at an early stage when they are most treatable. The screening is covered by most commercial insurance carriers.

Oral cancer strikes three times as many people as cervical cancer and is one of the few types of cancer that has not experienced a significant reduction in incidence during the last three decades. Recent research has shown a strong connection between oral cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can be sexually transmitted.

“For this reason, I believe anyone over the age of 18 should have a comprehensive oral examination at least annually,” says Dr. Clary. “That comprehensive exam should include a VELscope® screening for oral cancer. At the least, we hope people will take advantage of our offer during April and have the screening for free. The screen can, quite literally, be a life saver.”

The FDA and Health Canada have cleared the VELscope® System for assisting dentists and hygienists in discovering cancerous or precancerous growths that may not be apparent to the naked eye.

“A screening with the VELscope® System only adds one or two minutes to a conventional exam,” says Dr. Clary. “The screening is completely free of any pain or discomfort and very affordable. In fact, more and more insurance companies are seeing the value in early detection of oral cancers and are covering the screening.”

Typically, oral cancer is discovered in later stages when the five-year survival rate is around 20 percent. If detected early, five-year survival rates jump to as high as 80 percent. The VELscope® System can also help to discover abnormal growths before they become cancerous.

“This is one more tool to help us in the detection of oral cancers,” says Dr. Clary. “We have always conducted comprehensive oral cancer screenings on our patients at least annually, but with VELscope® we can see things that were invisible to the naked eye before. And by detecting potential problems earlier, we are providing our patients with the best care available.”

For more information about the VELscope® System, please visit expressions-dental.comor call Expressions Dental at (515) 232-0558.