Dear Buyer's Guide Update Member,
Did you know that April is Oral Cancer Awareness month?
Oral cancer afflicts hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), approximately 35,000 people in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2010 -- the fourth year in a row in which the rate of occurrence has increased.
When found early, these cancers have an 80% to 90% survival rate. Unfortunately, the majority of cases are first discovered as late-stage cancers, which accounts for the very high death rate (about 45%) at five years from diagnosis, according to the OCF.
Early detection has economic advantages as well. Treatment of late-stage oral cancer typically exceeds $200,000 per patient, while treatment of precancerous lesions costs only $500 to $1,500, according to Delta Dental.
A number of products now on the market can enhance the role dental care professionals play in finding and helping to treat oral cancer. Click here to see the oral cancer detection products listed in the DrBicuspid.com Buyer's Guide.
Caries may not be a life-threatening condition, but early detection is an important factor in terms of treatment decisions and overall oral health. In addition to traditional diagnostic methods, a number of light- and chemical-based products are now on the market that can help dental professionals find potentially carious lesions they might not otherwise detect.
Click here to read more about the caries detection products listed in the Buyer's Guide. You can even do side-by-side comparisons!
