Made My Day!

Yesterday, I received some information that made my day.

Every time that a patient gets a cleaning, our hygienists and I perform an exam of the tissue inside the mouth.

Once a year, we also perform an oral cancer screening exam with the Velscope, which is an oral pathology detection device. It a special device that helps us see any irregularities inside the mouth, at a deeper level. Some of these irregularities would not normally been seen with the naked eye.

A few months ago, our hygienist Sara, saw a small little bump in the back of one of our patient’s throat.

Once she informed me, we looked for any lumps or bumps and any white or red lesions in the mouth.

Generally, these types of lesions or lumps can appear in the mouth at any time. But they should heal in 2 to 3 weeks.

The large majority of these incidents resolve on their own in that 2 to 3 week window. Sometimes these lesions do not resolve and we will send the patient to a specialist to get evaluated.

During this specific appointment, Sara was performing her oral exam and found an irregular lesion in the back of the patient’s throat, using the Velscope screening device.

When I came in the room, Sara informed me and asked me to verify her finding.

I agreed and recommended that the patient return in 3 weeks, to reevaluate the lesion and see if it resolved itself in those 3 weeks.

When the patient returned, 3 weeks later, the lesion was still there and we advised the patient to get the lesion checked and evaluated by her Ear Nose and Throat doctor.

This week, the husband of our patient who had the Velscope exam, came to our office for his 6-month cleaning and let us know that his wife saw the ENT.

It turned out that the lesion in the back of her throat was irregular and, if left alone, had the potential of turning into a cancerous lesion. Her ENT removed the lesion, and the patient had no side effects from the procedure.

This made my day. I was happy to hear that my patient was able to get it removed and she no longer needed to be concerned.

I was also happy that the protocols we set in place, to do oral cancer screening, was worth it. Knowing that our due diligence gave ONE patient peace of mind, is enough to remind me that we are doing things the right way.

If you are looking for a dental office that will truly cares for you, visit us at mydente.com or call 773-292-1911 to schedule an appointment today!

Floss Like a Madman!

Emilio “Good News” Couret