Dunes Dental Services Provides 30-Second Painless Saliva Test to Detect Oral Cancer

Surfside Beach, SC, February 12, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Dunes Dental Services is now providing a simple 30-second saliva diagnostic lab test to identify the presence of an oral HPV infection using DNA-PCR technology.

For the 12th year in a row, April is the official Oral Cancer Awareness month in the US. With all of the recent publicity on celebrities with oral cancer - Michael Douglas, Roger Ebert and Denver Nuggets coach George Karl have all announced they have a type of neck and throat cancer - this is a perfect time to create awareness. Dunes Dental Services is among few dental clinics able to provide a simple 30-second saliva test to detect and diagnose an oral HPV infection (oral cancer).

“We can’t stand by and watch this get any more out of hand. It has to stop and we are here to see that happen,” states Dr. Muntean, the owner of Dunes Dental Services in Surfside Beach, SC. “If we can get it in its early stages it can be cured. But, early on there is no pain and oftentimes people are simply unaware and unfortunately aren’t being screened annually or at all. Dunes Dental Services invites everyone to schedule a screening, including non-patients. The screening is painless and takes a few minutes,” says Dr. Muntean.

Every hour, someone dies from oral cancer and 100 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed every day. With an early diagnosis, there is an 80-90% survival rate. Unfortunately, a majority of cases are not discovered until the later stages. Dunes Dental Services office is now providing a simple 30-second saliva test, the OraRisk HPV, a diagnostic lab test, to identify the presence of an oral HPV infection by using DNA-PCR technology.

70% of lesions detected by oral health professionals during visual and palpation screening exams are late Stage III and IV. OraRisksmHPV gives a method to assess risk with the objective of earlier detection and better prognosis. Dentists have the opportunity to be the front-runners in reducing the increasing rate of oral cancer with this test.

HPV-related oral cancer:
· Causes as many oral cancers as tobacco and alcohol
· Is the primary cause of cancers of the tonsils, base of tongue and upper throat
· Have doubled since 1974 (National Cancer Institute)
· Will surpass those caused by alcohol and tobacco within the next 10 yrs.

Just as there are have pap smears, mammograms, and prostate screenings, Dunes Dental Services now has a non-invasive diagnostic clinical lab test to detect an oral HPV infection, a known risk factor for and precursor to oral cancer. The OraRisk HPV allows to diagnose an oral HPV infection and screen for lesions at their earliest stages, making treatment of the disease more simple, less invasive, with a more successful prognosis.

A common misconception about oral cancer’s target audience is smokers or chew tobacco users to be at risk. Even non-smokers are at risk for oral cancer, and new research has linked the disease to HPV. Anyone who is 18 or older or sexually active should get screened.

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