The OraRisk HPV test is a noninvasive, easy-to-use screening tool to identify oral HPV.
OraRisk HPV from OralDNA Labs provides the clinician with the ability to establish risk for HPV-related cancers of the oral, head, and neck regions and determine appropriate referral and monitoring conditions. Early detection of oral HPV presents an important opportunity to detect those at risk for these types of cancers before symptoms appear.
The 8 dentists (current OraRisk HPV users) who participated in this Dental Product Shopper evaluation commented on features such as the speed of the procedure and its usefulness in patient education.
Simple Use
The OraRisk HPV test is quickly and easily administered chairside, and takes about a minute to complete. The patient vigorously swishes and gargles a sterile saline solution for 30 seconds, expectorates into the funneled collection tube, and the clinician caps the tube. The kit includes standard FedEx overnight shipping to OralDNA Labs for DNA-PCR analysis, and an e-mail notification is sent to clinician when electronic result report is available.
Ease of use earned a 4.6, with 7 of 8 calling it their favorite feature. One evaluator said he liked the “ease of collection of the saliva sample,” and another called it “truly a minimally invasive procedure.” One evaluator, who has been in practice for 7 years, said, “The test is easy, quick, and cost effective.” Regarding the speed of the procedure, 5 rated it excellent, 1 rated it very good, and 2 rated it good.
Experience in dealing with OralDNA Labs was called excellent by 5 evaluators, very good by 1, and good by 2. One evaluator, who rated all features as excellent, said, “I have been very pleased with the ease of collecting the saliva samples and submtting them to OralDNA for testing. It’s also very easy to access their portal to send orders, printout mailing labels, and view lab report results.
Patient Benefits
OraRisk HPV provides benefits as an early detection tool for patients at risk for HPV-related oral cancer, and patients fitting the following profile characteristics are strong candidates for the OraRisk HPV test: patients who are sexually active, with a family history of oral cancer, with signs and symptoms of oral cancer, with traditional risk factors for oral cancer, and with suspicious oral lesions.
Regarding the test’s effectiveness as an aid for detecting oral HPV infections, 4 called it excellent, 2 called it very good, and 2 called it fair. One of the evaluators mentioned that the test provides “tremendous benefits to patients.” The ability for OraRisk HPV to aid in patient education scored 4.0, with 3 rating it excellent, 3 rating it very good, 1 rating it good, and 1 rating it fair. One evaluator noted, “It would be nice if a DVD was made for all my patients to see it as they waited to be seated.”
Useful Results
The laboratory report derived from the OraRisk HPV salivary diagnostic test helps dental professionals identify the specific types(s) of oral HPV present, as well as the associated risk profile for each type of HPV variant detected in the patient’s oral cavity.
Evaluators also rated the usefulness of the results of the OraRisk HPV test, with 4 calling it excellent, 2 calling it very good, and 2 calling it fair. A few evaluators would like to see ability to identify dormant HPV. One evaluator said, “It would be very beneficial if they could alter test to identify dormant HPV also to better create awareness of increased oral cancer risk to patients.” However, when asked what they would like to see improved about the product, 6 of the 8 evaluators said “nothing.”
Overall Satisfaction
Six evaluators rated overall satisfaction excellent, 1 called it good, and 1 called it fair. A Pennsylvania-based dentist said, “There is no reason why this test should not be standard of care…”
