Oral cancer examination

Velscope

The Velscope used in conjunction with the conventional intra-oral and extra-oral head and neck exam, facilitates the discovery of mucosal abnormalities before they become visible under ordinary light. The VELscope Vx is the only non-invasive adjunctive device clinically proven to help discover occult oral disease.

How Does the VELscope Vx Work?

The VELscope Vx hand piece emits a safe blue light into the oral cavity, which excites natural fluorophores from the surface of the epithelium through to the basement membrane (where premalignant changes typically begin) and into the stroma beneath, causing it to fluoresce. The VELscope Vx's proprietary filter makes fluorescence visualization possible, by blocking reflected blue light, and by enhancing the contrast between normal and abnormal tissue.

Is the VELscope Vx a Diagnostic Tool?

Like other visualization technologies, such as panoramic radiography, CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound, the VELscope Vx is NOT a stand-alone diagnostic test. However, used in conjunction with the standard oral soft tissue exam, VELscope Vx provides visual information that cannot be acquired in any other way.

Does the VELscope Vx Generate "False Positives" for Oral Cancer?

False positives occur when a diagnostic test mistakenly signals the presence of disease. The VELscope Vx system is NOT a diagnostic test, and does not, consequently, generate false positives. As an adjunctive visualization tool, the VELscope Vx helps dental professionals discover a wide range of unhealthy tissue in the mouth, including oral pre-cancer and cancer.

Benefits Patients, Clinicians and Practice

When used as an adjunctive aid in combination with traditional oral cancer examination procedures, VELscope facilitates the early discovery and visualization of mucosal abnormalities, including oral cancer. In one or two minutes, with no rinses or stains required, a VELscope system examination helps healthcare professionals assess their patients' overall oral health.