John C. Comisi, DDS, FAGD, author of a study in the September/October 2008 issue of General Dentistry, discovered that the blue light emitted from a VELscope detects cancerous oral tissue through oral fluorescence!

When the VELscope shines on healthy cells, they will appear green in color, but damaged cells will look black (that is, they aren’t producing natural fluorescence).

All this oral fluorescence stuff sounds fun, but oral cancer is actually a very serious topic. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, oral cancer kills about one person per hour, 24 hours a day in America. Since oral cancer is often detected late, the survival rate is low.

Some ways to protect yourself against oral cancer:

• Make sure your dentist is performing an oral cancer screening, but also make sure you get yourself to the dentist regularly.

• Talk to your dentist about STDs you may have. Oral cancer may be caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

• Avoid tobacco use, especially if you’re a heavy drinker. If you smoke and drink, you’re 15 times more likely to develop oral cancer.

• If you notice a sore or discolored area of your mouth that doesn’t heal within 14 days, see your dentist.

Do you visit the dentist often?

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