Midwest Dental had 14 clinics offer free visual oral cancer screenings April 12 in recognition of oral cancer awareness.
In addition, Midwest Dental also utilized the FDA approved oral cancer screening tool, ViziLite Plus, for enhanced screenings.
The foundation for this program was to highlight the importance of routine oral cancer screening with emphasis on early detection of lesions and create public awareness about oral cancer risk factors.
Suspicious lesions were detected in several patients, and these patients received the advantage of being referred to an oral surgeon for further evaluation.
Early detection is the key to survival. When discovered early, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90% survival rate. Unfortunately, the majority of oral cancer is found in later stages which results in a very high death rate. Midwest Dental continuously evaluates new technologies to further improve and enhance the early detection of oral cancer.
Midwest Dental has a history of community involvement and in educating the public about oral health issues. In addition to oral cancer awareness, Midwest Dental participates in other programs including:
* Give Kids a Smile, a program that provides free dental care to the
underserved.
* National Dental Health Month, Midwest Dental staff provides oral health presentations to groups including schools and other care facilities.
* Dental Home, a program that educates clinicians, parents, and caregivers on the importance of early childhood dental screenings to promote prevention and the benefit of establishing a relationship with a Dentist by age one.
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