Dental Technology
Digital radiography (DR)
Used to make an initial diagnosis, dental X-rays are subsequently kept in the patient’s file for ease of reference.
The frequency of dental X-rays depends on an individual’s oral health status and the treatment they receive. As we use digital technology for dental X-rays, it emits only a very low level of radiation (70% less radiation).
X-rays are also widely used to diagnose periodontal disease or dental decay. Normally, an X-Ray is taken at every check-up to detect possible infections or dental diseases.
Digital Radiography
Advantages
- Reduced Radiation Exposure
- Improved Image Quality
- Faster Results
- Easy Storage and Retrieval
- Environmentally Friendly
- Patient Comfort
VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer is often deemed “the forgotten disease” because it kills more people than testicular cancer, cervical cancer, and brain cancer each year and receives little publicity in return.
Each year, over 4500 Canadians contract oral cancer. Without treatment, only 57% of these people will live more than five years. The best defense against oral cancer is an annual oral cancer screening.
How does the VELscope® work?
VELscope® uses fluorescence visualization in an exciting new way. Essentially, bright blue light is shone into the mouth to expose changes and lesions that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. The greatest difficulty in diagnosing oral cancer is that its symptoms are similar to symptoms of less serious problems. The VELscope® system affords the dentist important insight as to what is happening beneath the surface.
The healthy soft tissue of the mouth naturally absorbs the VELscope® blue light frequency. Healthy areas beneath the soft tissue show up green and the problem areas show up much darker.
