April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month! And as your Front Range resource for all things related to the mouth, Dr. Messina and our team are particularly passionate about spreading the word on prevention -- and early detection! -- of this important disease.
This month brings awareness to the fact that early detection of oral cancer can decrease morbidity and increase long-term survival. With HPV-related throat cancer on the rise, we wanted to take a moment to emphasize the importance of having an oral cancer screening at each dental checkup.
At our office, Dr. Messina and Rachel use an oral cancer screening device called the OralID to ensure cutting edge detection for every patient, every time. OralID uses “fluorescence technology” (a blue light) to aid in visualization of oral mucosal abnormalities, such as oral cancer and pre-cancerous lesions. This means that by shining our OralID light into the mouth, we can detect tissue changes long before they are visible with the naked eye.
If you're curious or want to learn more about oral cancer including risk factors and prevention, be sure to ask. You can also learn more about how our practice screens for oral cancer here on our website. We are proud to be using our OralID to shine light and save lives!