VELscope device cleared for sale

BURNABY, British Columbia--LED Dental has announced the VELscope Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment system has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is now available for sale in the U.S. The VELscope Vx system’s updated optics technology, cordless design, and pricing help make it easy for dental practices to detect oral cancer and other forms of oral disease.To read more about LED Dental, go to LED Dental.The first-generation VELscope device was introduced in 2006 and, since then, LED Dental has sold almost 6,000 devices. These devices have been used to conduct almost 10 million enhanced oral soft tissue exams worldwide. Oral soft-tissue exams not only help detect oral disease but are also a key element of an oral cancer screening protocol. Today, VELscope fluorescence visualization technology is used to conduct enhanced oral exams.“We are extremely excited about the potential of the VELscope Vx system to significantly increase the number of dental practices conducting comprehensive screenings for oral cancer and other forms of oral disease,” said Peter Whitehead, founder and CEO of LED Dental. “The device’s portability makes it easy to transport between operatories within the dental practice, and its attractive pricing makes it possible for practices to charge very low exam fees to their patients.”Oral cancer kills one American every hour of every day. According to the SEER database, oral cancer has a higher mortality rate than several better-publicized cancers, such as cervical cancer and testicular cancer. Some oral cancers are now known to be linked to exposure to the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV). This means that anyone who is sexually active is potentially at risk for the disease. Because of this, many health experts advise everyone 18-years old and older to get an oral cancer exam at least annually.Regular exams can help address the fact that oral cancer is typically discovered in late stages, when the five-year survival rate is around 30%. But when discovered in early stages the survival rate leaps to 80% to 90%, according to SEER data. Early detection can help reduce not only the mortality rate, but the degree of invasiveness and disfigurement resulting from treatment.The VELscope Vx shines a safe, blue light into the oral cavity and excites natural tissue fluorescence. When viewed by the clinician through the Vx’s patented filters, abnormal tissue typically appears as an irregular, dark area that stands out against the otherwise normal, green fluorescence pattern of surrounding healthy tissue.VELscope Vx exams can help dental practices detect not only oral cancer, but other more common types of oral disease, such as viral, bacterial or fungal infections. Exams take only a few minutes, and are pain-free and convenient for patients. To learn more about the VELscope Vx, call (604) 434-4614, or visit www.VELscope.com.To comment on this product, go to community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/.