Perkins Dental Associates

Systemic conditions (pregnancy, diabetes and heart disease to name a few) and certain medications (prescription and over-the-counter) are directly related to the health of the teeth and gums. Here at PERKINS DENTAL ASSOCIATES, we address the dental health component specifically in the area of preventative wellness.

Americans are living longer, and helping patients keep their natural teeth for a lifetime is our goal. We facilitate advancement toward this goal by helping you make educated decisions concerning your unique dental situation. We take the time to help you understand the pros and cons of products available to you commercially and/or exclusively through our office and enable you to incorporate the choices into an efficient, effective routine designed exclusively with your smile in mind.

The New Gold Standard for Oral Health Care

Our practice continually looks for advances to ensure that we are providing the optimum level of oral health care to our patients. We are concerned about oral cancer and look for it in every patient.

One American dies every hour from oral cancer. Late detection of oral cancer is the primary cause that both the incidence and mortality rates of oral cancer continue to increase. As with most cancers, age is the primary risk factor for oral cancer. Tobacco and alcohol use are other major predisposing risk factors but more than 25% of oral cancer victims have no such lifestyle risk factors. Oral cancer risk by patient profile is as follows:

Increased risk: patients ages 18 - 39; sexually active patients (HPV 16-18)
High risk: patients age 40 and older; tobacco users (any age, any type within 10 years of quitting)
Highest risk: patients age 40 and older with lifestyle risk factors (tobacco and/or alcohol use); previous history of oral cancer.

We have recently incorporated ViziLite Plus into our oral screening standard of care. We find that using ViziLite Plus along with a standard oral cancer examination improves the ability to identify suspicious areas at their earliest stages. ViziLite Plus is similar to proven early detection procedures for other cancers such as Mammography, Pap smear and PSA. ViziLite Plus is a simple and painless examination that gives the best chance to find any oral abnormalities at the earliest possible stage. Early detection of pre-cancerous tissue can minimize or eliminate the potentially disfiguring effects of oral cancer and possibly save your life. The ViziLite Plus exam will be offered to you annually.

This enhanced examination is recognized by the American Dental Association code revision committee as CDT-5 procedure code D0431; however, this exam might not be covered by your insurance. The fee for this enhanced examination is $65.00.