VELscope, a cancer detecting device
VELscope (http://www.velscope.com/) is a hand-held device that provides dentists with the ability to detect early oral cancer tissues. It was developed by a team at the British Columbia Cancer Agency and MD Anderson Cancer Center. General dentists have done visual and tactile oral cancer exams for many years but this technology that is based on the direct visualization of tissue fluorescence and the changes in the fluorescence that occur provides an added diagnostic tool to the practitioner.
The VELscope handpiece emits a safe blue light which excites the deep tissues where malignant changes typically start, causing it to fluorescence. The clinician is then able to immediately view the difference between the normal and abnormal tissue. Healthy tissue typically appears as a bright green glow while abnormal tissue can cause a loss of fluorescence and thus appear dark.
The VELscope examination is part of our routine annual dental examination.
