Sponsorship Will Focus on Oral Cancer Screening Using VELscope Technology

LED Dental announced today a corporate sponsorship agreement with the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), a professional association of more than 35,000 general dentists who are dedicated to professional excellence through the pursuit of continuing education (CE). This sponsorship from the maker of the VELscope Enhanced Oral Assessment system will provide AGD member dentists with a wide range of CE opportunities that focus on oral cancer and other oral disease screening topics through the end of 2011.

According to Peter Whitehead, LED Dental founder and CEO, “We are proud to be associated with the AGD, whose members are to be commended for their ongoing commitment to providing the best oral health care possible to their parents.” He noted that oral cancer takes the life of one North American every hour of every day, and that dental practices are the first line of defense in detecting oral cancer and other oral disease in early stages. “Early detection can be the difference between life and death,” said Mr. Whitehead. “Dentists who regularly combine conventional oral cancer exams, involving visual inspection and palpation, with the two-minute VELscope exam greatly increase their odds of catching the disease in early and even pre-cancerous stages.”

“The AGD is delighted to forge this partnership with LED Dental to increase our members’ knowledge of oral cancer, oral cancer research, and oral cancer screening techniques,” said AGD President Fares Elias, DDS, JD, FAGD. “With new cases of oral cancer emerging on a daily basis, the importance of educating oral health care providers who deal with this disease has never been greater.”

AGD constituents can choose from three CE courses on various oral cancer topics through the end of 2011, with 12 total sessions available. The courses are all half-day lectures, given by well-known speakers on oral cancer.
Integrating a 1-2-3 Oral Cancer Screening into Your Office (Lou Graham, DDS): The responsibility for oral cancer screening falls on all dental professionals. Participants will discuss why it’s important to screen for oral cancer and what the risk factors are; why early detection is key; ways in which to enhance visualization for both the hygienist and the dentist; how VELscope technology fits into the screening modality; what to do if something looks unusual; when to perform a brush biopsy and when to refer for surgical biopsy; and how to communicate with patients so they understand the value of the screening and don’t panic if something is unusual.
Dispelling Dysplasia in 2010 (Kevin Huff, DDS, MAGD): This course is designed to simplify the identification protocols for early oral cancer detection and to review the published technique for a physical oral screening. Screening, diagnosis, documentation, and patient management are all important aspects of this process. This course will enhance the ability of all dental professionals and staff to deal confidently with these important issues. Hands-on participation workshop activities include manual and visual head and neck examination techniques; hands-on direct optical fluorescence visualization techniques using the VELscope system; and interactive case discussions.
Four Steps to Help Save Lives—Dr. Bregman’s Early Oral Cancer Detection for Dentists and the Dental Team (Jonathon A. Bregman, DDS, FAGD): Today, oral cancer kills one person in the United States every hour. That’s a shocking statistic, and it’s time for the dental profession to make a change. Dr. Bregman’s presentation provides participants with a comprehensive and well-structured experience that covers four main topics: the target population; the complete examination and accurate records; new detection tools; and patient discussions. Effective communication skills are taught in each topic area. The end result is that attendees create their own to-do list that can be transformed into immediate action.

The VELscope system recently was honored by the World Health Organization (WHO) for being an innovative device that addresses global health concerns. After months of evaluation, WHO identified VELscope as a device that is likely to be accessible, appropriate, and affordable for use in low- and middle-income countries. The VELscope device was one of eight commercialized devices, and the only dental device, to be honored by the WHO in this manner.

AGD member dentists can find the CE opportunities available in their region by visiting http://www.agd.org, clicking on “Education” and selecting “Speaker Information.”