Oral Cancer Screening

At Viva Dental Victoria we believe that doing an oral cancer screening exam for our patients is a vital step in the early diagnosis of oral cancer.  Every time you have a cleaning and check-up, our dentists and hygienists will do an oral cancer screening for you. An additional screening with VELscope is recommended once per year.  

Furthermore, if you have a lump, bump, crack, ulcer, spot or other areas of concern in/on your mouth, lips, tongue, palate, gums, cheek, or throat, we ask that you call us immediately so that we can see you for an additional exam.

Oral cancer can be a potentially deadly type of cancer but if detected early, the survival rate for patients with oral cancer is 83%. Late detection of oral cancer, however, gives patients only a 32% chance of survival. Dr. Siemens was one of 30 dentists involved in a BC Cancer Control Agency study using the Velscope as a screening tool for dentists

Last year approximately 5,300 Canadians were diagnosed with oral cancer and about 1400 died from it.  Oral cancer can affect many areas of the mouth including the lips, gums, cheeks, tonsils, tongue, salivary glands, back of the throat, roof and floor of the mouth, and the oropharynx (made up of the tongue, soft palate, tonsils, middle part of the pharynx).

There are two known pathways that lead to oral cancer. The first is tobacco and alcohol use, and the other is through exposure to Human Papillomavirus (HPV16).

In the past, patients over the age of 60 were at the greatest risk of developing oral cancer. However, in recent years the incidence of oral cancer (mainly in the throat) has been increasing in younger adults due to changing sexual practices and HPV16 infection. 

The best way to screen for oral and oropharyngeal cancer today is through a visual and physical exam by a dental or medical professional, who will also discuss your medical history, asking about signs and symptoms that cover aspects of your health that cannot be seen or felt.  An oral cancer screening light (VELscope) can also aid in cancer detection.  When focused on oral tissues, the VELscope makes healthy tissue appear as a greenish colour and abnormal tissue a darker colour, helping us to detect early stages of oral cancer before it is visible to our eyes.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common virus groups in the world.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, at least 20 million people in the United States are infected with HPV and there are approximately 6 million new cases each year.  An oral HPV16 infection is considered to be a serious risk factor for developing oral cancer - primarily in the throat (oropharyngeal complex) where infections are difficult to see.

Since early oral HPV16 infections do not typically cause any clinical signs or symptoms, it may be prudent to test for the HPV16 virus using an OraRisk® Oral HPV test.  This simple test of your saliva allows us to determine if you have been infected with HPV16 and establishes if you are at increased risk of developing oral cancer so that appropriate monitoring and referrals can be made.

It is worth noting that according to the oralcancerfoundation.org, a person who tests positive for HPV16 will not necessarily get oral or oropharyngeal cancer.