Team uses latest technology of OralID for advanced oral screenings.
 
Every hour one American dies of Oral Cancer. This is a critical number that Forward Science Technologies, LLC (FST), the creators of OralID and CytID, do not take lightly. While baseball is the great American pastime, it has also carried along with it a few bad habits through the years, including the use of tobacco.
 
In late February of 2015, the Seattle Mariners reported to Peoria, Arizona for Spring Training. Once there, the players and coaches go through several health tests and screenings to ensure they are in “tip top” shape before enduring the hard work and heat that a successful Spring Training season requires.
 
This year the creators of OralID, the latest oral cancer-screening device using fluorescence technology, teamed up with the Mariners to enhance their pre-season health protocol. Dr. Robert Levine and Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health pre-doctoral students conducted oral health exams on the players and coaches. The screening included the requisite head and neck exams, followed by an OralID fluorescence exam.
 
“The Seattle Mariners are one of the very few MLB teams that utilize this potential life saving technology, stressing the importance of oral health assessments for all players”, states Robert Levine DDS, Assistant Professor at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH); Director of Laser Sciences, A.T. Still University. “We have worked with the principles at FST for almost a decade now, and the simplistic design OralID allows all clinicians to be able to easily incorporate a technology for early discovery, in efforts to save more lives.”
 
OralID’s fluorescent, or blue light, technology has been proven to save lives. The key to decreasing oral cancer cases, is to catch it in its earlier stages, before it is actually cancer and visible with the naked eye; the whole reason why OralID was created. OralID separates itself from other devices because it does not require disposables, rinses or dyes, resulting in no per-patient costs. This allows screenings to be portable and also affordable not only for the patient, but for the dentist.
 
In addition to screenings, the dental professionals also educated the players on the risks associated with tobacco use.  OralID Regional Sales Manager, Kelly Kunkel, shared the focus on education during the exam.  The players were educated on the dangers of chewing tobacco, as well as the correlation of HPV and oral cancer.
 
“As a former college athlete, I have seen first-hand the tobacco abuse in not only baseball, but all sports”, states FST CEO, Robert J. Whitman who played college baseball at Tulane University. "As cliché as it sounds, to change the trends on oral cancer, it will truly take a team effort. Dr. Levine and the Seattle Mariners have gone above and beyond in enhanced screenings and education for their entire organization. We challenge all other organizations to join the Movement with OralID against Oral Cancer.”
 
If you would like to learn more about oral cancer risk factors, or OralID and fluorescence technology, e-mail info@oralid.com.