Distinctive Dentistry Offers a New Technology: OralID™
In addition to Isolite™ and digital dental x-ray technologies, Distinctive Dentistry in Edmonds, Washington, now offers OralID, an early cancer detection technology. Yearly, dentists identify thousands of Americans with oral cancer. Oral cancer, found in the dental cavity and in adjacent parts of the throat, falls into the category of a more preventative cancer. Distinctive Dentistry’s goal by offering OralID to their patients is for early detection, therefore, increasing the chances for oral cancer survivors.
Be Aware: Symptoms of Oral Cancer
When you experience any of the following symptoms, it does not mean you have oral cancer. However, you should contact Distinctive Dentistry immediately for a dental checkup.
- You develop a sore in your mouth that does not heal.
- You develop a pain in your mouth that does not go away.
- You develop a lump in your cheek.
- You develop a white or red patchy area on your gums, tongue, tonsils, or lining of the mouth.
- You develop a raw throat or a feeling that something is trapped in the throat.
- You have difficulty chewing or swallowing.
- You have difficulty moving your jaw or your tongue.
- You experience a numbness in your tongue or in other areas of your mouth.
- You have a swelling in your jaw that makes your dentures fit badly.
- You have loose teeth or pain in your jaw.
- You develop a change in your voice.
- You develop a lump in your neck.
- You experience weight light.
- You have bad breath all the time.
Again, the listed signs and symptoms can be precursors to things other than oral cancer, but please note, it is imperative to contact Distinctive Dentistry if you experience any of these conditions for more than two weeks. In addition to an oral cancer exam, the dental team will use the ORALID technology to determine the cause of your discomfort and recommend the appropriate treatment.
How Does OralID Technology Work?
OralID technology uses fluorescence technology to detect abnormalities in your oral tissue. It is a proven, optically-based technology that uses a blue light (435–460 nm) that allows your dentists at Distinctive Dentistry or one of its qualified staff to identify oral cancer, pre-cancer, and other abnormal abrasions at an earlier stage, thus saving lives.
Is It Important I am Checked with OralID Technology?
Distinctive Dentistry cares about its patients. Consider the following:
The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers in the United States are for 2016:
- About 48,330 people will get oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer.
- An estimated 9,570 people will die of these cancers.
These cancers are more than twice as common in men as in women. They are about equally common in blacks and in whites.
In answer to the question presented above, yes, it is important you are checked with OralID technology. If early detection of oral cancer can save a life, wouldn’t you want it to be yours? Distinctive Dentistry does!
