A southwestern North Dakota dental practice has started using VELscope, a revolutionary device using LED light sources to identify abnormalities down to the bone. That deep look can help detect problems much earlier than just a glance.
Using a specialized light — blue light causes stimulation of the epithelial cells with areas of abnormality appearing darker in color — Robinson said the VELscope is able to identify a variety of abnormalities.
“So what it can do is when I do a regular oral cancer screening, I just visually look at someone’s mouth. I pull out their tongue; I look all around. Well, the VELscope light can actually penetrate all the way down to the bone,” Robinson said. “So instead of just seeing the surface, it can go all the way down to the bone and things will show up a different color. So that’s why it can detect things early.
Dr. April Robinson, of Robinson Family Dental in Dickinson, North Dakota, demonstrates how the VELscope works on an individual to detect cancer two years earlier than normal oral screenings.
Jackie Jahfetson / The Dickinson Press
Jackie Jahfetson / The Dickinson Press
Jackie Jahfetson / The Dickinson Press
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