Dear OralCDx,

 I am a registered dental hygienist who is recovering from surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. I would like to share my story with you.

I am a 41 year old, healthy female who has never smoked or drank alcohol more than socially. A few months ago, I noticed a small white spot on the lateral border and a red spot on the ventral surface of the right side of my tongue. Periodically, I had some very mild discomfort from the red spot, but it always went away after a day or so.

Over the six-month period, I had shown my tongue twice to an ENT physician who response was “it’s nothing”. I just felt I shouldn’t ignore it, and I sought the assistance of a dentist, Dr. Patrice Ohman, who performed an OralCDx brush biopsy.

I received a call to inform me that the results of the brush biopsy showed atypical cells. I was then referred for scalpel biopsies of both lesions. The red spot proved to be a superficially invasive squamous cell carcinoma, and the white area showed severe dysplasia.

I went on to have a partial glossectomy and a modified neck dissection.
All of the nodes were negative, and the margins of the resection were free of cancer. The news couldn’t be better, and I am very confident that I will remain cancer-free thanks to an early diagnosis.

I believe that every dentist and hygienist has a responsibility to use the brush biopsy to identify precancers and cancers among subtle tissue changes that too often appear innocent, despite their malignant nature. I have made it my goal to educate medical and dental professionals who evaluate patients for oral cancer about the indications and accuracy of this diagnostic test.

Sincerely,
Barbara Boland, RDH, MBA

Hi to all my fellow Dental Hygienists.

I have been a Registered Dental Hygienist for the past 31 years.   I love my job and the relationship I have with my patients.  They have become more like friends that I see routinely throughout the year.  They aren't just mouths with teeth for me to clean, but people that I care deeply about.  If anything ever happened to any one them, I’d be devastated! 

That is one of the many reasons I am a firm believer and regular user of the BrushTest from OralCDx labs.  I check each patient for common oral spots that are present in about ten percent of my patients, at any one time.  They know that if I see a spot, it gets “brushed” and through this easy, painless test, I can tell them if these spots are harmless. Even if the BrushTest™ finds a spot that contains unhealthy cells, it can be removed years before it can ever harm them.

As Registered Dental Hygienists, we see our patients for thirty, forty-five or even sixty minutes during their recall exams.  OralCDx Laboratories realized the important role that we, as hygienists, play in helping to prevent oral cancer.  They know that hygienists are an essential pair of eyes in detecting spots, even before the dentist sees the patient!  They know that hygienists are on the critical front line of defense!

I used this test so frequently in my practice, that OralCDx Labs asked me to join them as the Clinical Education Director on the East Coast.  I jumped at the chance to help save lives.  You can help protect your patients too.  I have found pre-cancers in my patients, due to the OralCDx BrushTest.  Those dysplasias were removed and cancers prevented.  What can be more gratifying than that?

Michelle C. Spitzer R.D.H
Clinical Education Director
East Coast
OralCDx Labs