IDENTAFI

What every person should know about oral cancer:

• More Australians die from oral cancer than cervical cancer each year. 
• Oral cancers currently account for up to 6.5 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in Australia. 
• The incidence of oral cancer is growing. 
• The biggest growth in oral cancer is among young non-smokers, and oral cancer is now linked to HPV. 
• If oral cancer is detected early, there is a 70 per cent survival rate in the first five years, compared to 30 per cent if the cancer has spread. 
• Health experts recommend that all adults receive annual oral cancer screenings.

Because of this risk to your health, A1 dental care Belconnen, north Canberra has recently invested in a state-of-the-art IDENTAFI™ system. As part of our conventional oral cancer examination, it can literally help us discover potentially dangerous tissue that we might otherwise miss. The IDENTAFI is a hand-held device that provides dentists and hygienists with an easy-to-integrate adjunctive mucosal examination system for the early detection of a wide variety of oral diseases, including pre-cancer and cancer. Using a revolutionary safe blue light technology that is completely pain-free, we are able to view different fluorescent responses that help differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue and reveal conditions that should be investigated further.

An oral cancer examination with a IDENTAFI screening takes very little time, involves no pain or inconvenience, and is very affordable. So let's plan to make this a part of your next preventive hygiene appointment.

How Does the IDENTAFI Work?

The IDENTAFI hand piece emits a safe blue light into the oral cavity, which excites natural fluorophores from the surface of the epithelium through to the basement membrane (where premalignant changes typically begin) and into the stroma beneath, causing it to fluoresce. The IDENTAFI’s proprietary filter makes fluorescence visualization possible, by blocking reflected blue light, and by enhancing the contrast between normal and abnormal tissue.

Is the IDENTAFI a Diagnostic Tool?

Like other visualization technologies, such as panoramic radiography, CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound, the IDENTAFI is NOT a stand-alone diagnostic test. However, used in conjunction with the standard oral soft tissue exam, IDENTAFI provides visual information that cannot be acquired in any other way.

What is tissue fluorescence?

Tissue fluorescence is an optical phenomenon that occurs when light absorbed by human tissue creates a molecular excitation that re-emits light at a different wavelength.

Does the IDENTAFI Generate “False Positives” for Oral Cancer?

False positives occur when a diagnostic test mistakenly signals the presence of disease. The IDENTAFI system is NOT a diagnostic test, and does not, consequently, generate false positives. As an adjunctive visualization tool, the IDENTAFI helps dental professionals discover a wide range of unhealthy tissue in the mouth, including oral pre-cancer and cancer.

IDENTAFI: Impressive New Findings

A recent 620-patient study has provided additional insights into IDENTAFI’s potential. Within a dental school setting, the addition of IDENTAFI to routine clinical examinations resulted in the detection of a number of mucosal abnormalities not detected by the conventional exam. Importantly, these abnormalities included not only a number of dysplasias, but also lichen planus and other inflammatory lesions.

The study highlights an aspect of IDENTAFI that is sometimes overlooked. In addition to the detection of oral cancers and pre-cancers, the IDENTAFI system is showing itself to be a powerful tool for the discovery of mucosal abnormalities such as:

Viral, fungal and bacterial infections Inflammation from a variety of causes (including lichen planus and other lichenoid reactions) Squamous papillomas Salivary gland tumours. Understanding the potential of the IDENTAFI system adds significant clinical and commercial value to its purchase, since the appropriate treatment of mucosal abnormalities can enhance care and add to patients’ quality of life.

Benefits Patients, Clinicians and Practice

When used as an adjunctive aid in combination with traditional oral cancer examination procedures, IDENTAFI facilitates the early discovery and visualization of mucosal abnormalities, including oral cancer. In one or two minutes, with no rinses or stains required, a IDENTAFI system examination helps healthcare professionals assess their patients’ overall oral health.

The IDENTAFI is the most powerful tool available for assisting in the discovery of oral abnormalities. The IDENTAFI's distinctive blue-spectrum light causes the soft tissues of the mouth to naturally fluoresce. Healthy tissues fluoresce in distinctive patterns — patterns that are visibly disrupted by trauma or disease. Using the IDENTAFI, a wide variety of oral abnormalities can be discovered — often before they're visible to the unassisted eye.

Discovering soft tissue abnormalities is particularly important in the fight against oral cancer. Because the IDENTAFI assists in early detection, cancer can be caught before it has time to spread, potentially saving lives through less invasive, more effective treatment.

Used on a regular basis, the IDENTAFI helps dental professionals find a wide variety of soft-tissue abnormalities, allowing practices to aspire to an advanced level of patient care. The IDENTAFI is:

• Completely safe and non-invasive
• No rinses or dyes
• Simple to use 
• No unpleasant rinses or stains 
• Entire exam in about two minutes
• Compatible with standard digital cameras for photo documentation