Product Review: How the VELscope VX can help save lives in your dental practice

Dr. Jean Wu tells us why she thinks dentists should use the VELscope VX in every oral examination.

Seven years ago, Dr. Jean Wu changed the way her practice does oral cancer examinations.

Instead of relying on the conventional exam alone, Dr. Wu also uses the VELscope oral cancer detection aid to ensure every patient receives a thorough examination.

As a dentist, she feels it is her responsibility to provide this to her patients, and she also knows this supplemental screening can save lives.

How did you first hear about the VELscope? What made you decide you wanted to incorporate it into your practice?

Steve Semmelmayer, DenMat’s CEO, introduced the technology to our office and we immediately felt it was important to provide this service to our patients.

It was a non-invasive method of screening for oral cancer that was easy to implement, user-friendly and painless for the patient.

What benefits does it bring to your patients?

There are no traumatic brushes or messy solutions for patients to endure, and early detection of dysplasia and soft tissue pathology can save lives.

What benefits does it bring to your practice?

Having the latest technology really changes the way we do our oral cancer examinations and demonstrates to our patients we are always striving to improve our methodology and be as effective as possible with our care.

Why would you encourage other dentists to use the VELscopein their practice?

It is our responsibility to complete a thorough oral cancer evaluation at every hygiene recall and re-examination, and the VELscope provides us with the reassurance we are adding an additional dimension to the visual and tactile examination.

With the VELscope, we can better differentiate between the normal appearance and the abnormal and document what we see with the camera. It is an effective way to communicate with other physicians, as well as patients.

How important is it for dentists to screen for oral cancer?

It is critical as part of our comprehensive care and health management. Patients see their dentist more than twice a year on average, and physicians may be lucky to see their patients once a year.

As dentists, we understand the oral anatomy more intimately than our medical colleagues and the oral cavity is our area of responsibility.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about the VELscope’s benefits?

The VELscope is a simple tool to supplement a conventional oral cancer evaluation. Every dentist should consider using the VELscope for every oral examination. We owe it to our patients to use every technology available to us, to improve their quality of life and even save lives.