Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn has Surgery for Oral Cancer

For most of my adult life, I've been a baseball fan. For me, there is something timeless about the game and the game's best players. That's why for years I enjoyed watching Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres. Tony has always been a class act as well as a prolific hitter. He's truly one of those players who played the game "the right way" and who has conducted himself the right way off the field too. The photo above is of Tony at his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

So I was saddened when I learned that Tony has been battling oral cancer. I'm very passionate about doing all we can in the profession to help detect this disease at its earliest stages. Through proper screening techniques and utilizing the latest in technologies designed to help us screen better, we can help our patients by locating the disease before it can kill or disfigure.

I'm not sure how I missed the news in 2010 when it was announced that Tony was battling cancer in his parotid gland, but it somehow slipped under my radar.

I learned of the news on Wednesday of this week through this article on the Sports Illustrated website.

Here's wishing Tony all the best for a speedy recovery. Also, here's a call to my colleagues to do everything we can to help our patients beat this disease by finding it in the very beginning!

For more info on oral cancer screening devices, check out these sites:

Velscope

Dentlight - Dental Oral Exam System

DentalEZ Identafi

DentalEZ� Group Updates its Identafi� Website with Free Marketing Kit for Clinicians

For those of you who are doing routine oral cancer screenings on your patients (and if you are not... you should be), here is some great news! Read on for all the details...

Malvern, PA � (December 8, 2011) � DentalEZ^� Group, a supplier of innovative products and services for dental health professionals worldwide, has officially updated its Identafi^� website to include a useful section that provides various marketing tools to help clinicians increase oral cancer awareness and promote the benefits of the Identafi oral cancer screening device.

The new clinician section now included on the Identafi website, www.Identafi.net, offers clinicians several easy-to-use patient education and marketing materials targeted to local residents and existing patients who may not know that their dental office offers the advanced oral cancer screening technology device. Dental professionals who offer the Identafi oral cancer screening examination in their practices can now download these FREE useful marketing tools, such as:

Press Release Template � Designed to announce to local media the importance of oral cancer screening and that the practice has begun using Identafi.

Letter to the Editor Template � Encourages publication of the importance of oral
cancer screening.

Patient Letter Template � Creates awareness among current and lapsed patients regarding the importance of oral cancer screening, early detection, and the adoption of advanced
Identafi technology.

Printable Patient Education Pamphlet � This brochure provides patients with information on oral cancer, the importance of the screening exam, and how Identafi works.

Printable Office Poster � Dental professionals can hang the poster in their waiting rooms and operatories to create awareness of the need for annual oral cancer screenings.

Logo � An Identafi logo can be added to professional websites, bringing public awareness to the use of Identafi.

Study Club / Speaker Slides � Preformatted PowerPoint presentation is ideal for use at study clubs or other local speaker events.

Radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) � Oral cancer awareness PSAs in 15-second, 30-second, or 60-second versions, depending on which format the local radio station prefers.

Oral Cancer Screening Event Press Release � A downloadable press release that can be sent to local media to invite reporters to receive a free oral cancer screening.

Identafi Exam Consent Form � A patient release form to document the patient's consent or denial of the oral cancer screening exam with Identafi.

In addition to the many new features, the website will continue to allow visitors to download technical information, find out more about oral cancer, view training videos and seminars, and easily contact StarDental^��s supportive staff of customer and technical service representatives.

www.Identafi.net is intended to be a regular destination for dental professionals interested in the oral cancer news and the Identafi oral screening device as well as current customers, and patients.

For more information, please visit www.Identafi.net or call 866-DTE-INFO.

About DentalEZ^� Group

DentalEZ^� Group is committed to advancing the practice of dentistry through innovative products and services. Encompassing six distinct product brands � StarDental^�, DentalEZ^�, CustomAir^�, RAMVAC^�, NevinLabs^�, and Columbia Dentoform^� � DentalEZ^� Group manufactures everything in the operatory, from handpieces to chairs to vacuum systems to dental simulation models, creating a complete line of products to elevate the health, comfort, and efficiency of the dental operatory. For more information, please visit www.dentalez.com.