In an article that appeared in the May 1999 Dental Products Report publication, the FDI World Dental Federation, recently endorsed toluidine blue, which is the active ingredient in a new product called OraScreen. This agent has been used in the detection of oral cancer and is awaiting FDA approval in the U.S. It is presently being used in other countries with great success.

The way this product works is by marking the oral tissue where suspicious lesions are present. It can be used in patients who are also at high risk to develop oral cancer or who have already been treated for the condition. The stain that forms around the suspicious lesion aids the surgeon in recognizing what the optimal size the biopsy has to be made prior to surgical removal. Toluidine blue is available from Zila Pharmaceuticals Inc. as OraScreen, a patented five-minute mouthrinse.

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