According to research conducted by the American Cancer Society, more than 30,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year.  More than 7,000 of these cases result in the death of the patient.  The good news is that oral cancer can easily be diagnosed with an annual oral cancer exam, and effectively treated when caught in its earliest stages.

Oral cancer is a pathologic process which begins with an asymptomatic stage during which the usual cancer signs may not be readily noticeable.  This makes the oral cancer examinations performed by the dentist critically important.  Oral cancers can be of varied histologic types such as teratoma, adenocarcinoma and melanoma.  The most common type of oral cancer is the malignant squamous cell carcinoma.  This oral cancer type usually originates in lip and mouth tissues.

There are many different places in the oral cavity and maxillofacial region in which oral cancers commonly occur, including:

• Lips
• Mouth
• Tongue
• Salivary Glands
• Oropharyngeal Region (throat)
• Gums
• Face

Oral Cancer is not a rare disease and unfortunately is on the rise. This year approximately 53,000 will be diagnosed with oral cancer in the United States alone. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, oral cancer claims the life of one American every single hour. 

Dr. Nicholas Beye has joined forces with Forward Science, the manufacturer of Oral ID®, and became a provider of the ID For Life Program to promote early detection and public awarness of oral cancer in the office. Dr. Beye will be offering enchanced oral cancer screenings during the scheduled appointments to new and current patients.

Dr. Beye uses an oral cancer screening device, Oral ID®, in efforts to discover oral cancer in their earliest stages. Oral ID® uses Flourescence Technology to look for abnormalities that might signal cancer that would be harder to spot with just the naked eye. Finding these abnormalities in much earlier stages can increase the 5-year survival rate up to 80-90%

How it works

Oral ID® uses a proven, optically based technology called, "flourescence technology" Oral ID® flourescence technology uses a blue light (435-460 nm) that provides the clinician an aid in visualization of oral mucosal abnormalities, such as oral cancer and pre-cancer. The other medical applications of flourescence technology include highlighting abnormalities of the GI tract, cervix, lung, and skin.

Our team is trained in this simple screening utilizing Oral ID®. Our office is dedicated to your overall health and wellness and we are proud to serve you with the advanced technology Oral ID®