Northridge Dental Group is Offering Oral Cancer Screening Using Advanced Technology

    NORTHRIDGE, CA, July 06, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Northridge Dental Group is now offering technologically advanced oral cancer screening tools. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 40,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer within the year of 2015. Unfortunately, about 7,500 will die from it. The mortality rate of oral cancer tends to be higher than with other cancers, as it is often not diagnosed until extensive damage has been done. Most commonly, oral cancer is found on the tongue, tonsils, oropharynx, gums, floor of the mouth, lips and the minor salivary glands.

Risk Factors

Oral cancer is most common in men over the age of 40, but can affect anyone of any age. Common risk factors include:

- Tobacco use, including smoking and chewing tobacco
- Heavy drinking
- HPV infection

Dr. Ariz, and Dr. Arami may recommend additional screening for patients who have sores that do not heal, lumps anywhere in the mouth or lips, red or white patches of skin in the mouth, lumps in the throat, swelling in the jaw, hoarseness in their voice or ear pain. With early diagnosis, the survival rate is about 90 percent.

The FDA-approved VELscope for oral cancer screening is used by their dental office to find lesions that may not be visible to the eye. The handheld tool uses a soft blue light that causes healthy tissues to fluoresce, while potentially cancerous tissues will remain dark. It is not a diagnostic tool, but it can help identify areas to be biopsied.

"We are committed to incorporating the latest proven treatments and procedures into the office and are proud to offer the VELscope system, which uses no irritating rinses or dyes and is completely non-invasive," states the team at Northridge Dental Group. Since the system is affordable and easy to use, it can provide valuable information about a patient's dental health in just a few seconds.

About Northridge Dental Group

Dr. Shahdad Arami works with a team of top dentists to provide patients with comprehensive dental care. This includes preventive care, tooth-colored fillings, porcelain crowns, bridges, dental implants, periodontal care and cosmetic dentistry. After graduating from UCLA's School of Dentistry, Dr. Arami completed his general practice residency. Today, he is a member of the California Dental Association and the American Dental Association.

Visit http://www.dentistnorthridge.net/ to learn more

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