BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 23, 2012) - LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. (TSX VENTURE:LMD) -

LED Dental Inc. announced today that its VELscope Vx oral cancer screening system has been approved for use by the dentists affiliated with [ Heartland Dental Care ], which represents over 350 dental practices in 18 states. The VELscope Vx is exclusively distributed in the U.S. and Canada by [ Henry Schein, Inc. ] (NASDAQ:HSIC).

All new and existing Heartland dental practices will have the option of adding the VELscope Vx system upon doctor approval. In fact, several Heartland practices had already acquired a VELscope Vx or an earlier generation VELscope model before affiliating with Heartland Dental Care.

VELscope's fluorescence visualization technology is used for more adjunctive oral cancer exams than any other technology in the world. It is the first technology cleared by the FDA and Health Canada to help detect cancerous and precancerous lesions that might be invisible to the naked eye, and to help determine the appropriate surgical margin when excision is indicated.

"We are gratified to have been chosen by such a large and well-respected dental organization," said Peter Whitehead, founder and CEO of LED Dental and its parent company, LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. (TSX VENTURE:LMD). "This designation reflects not only the unmatched quality of our technology, but the commitment of Heartland Dental Care to provide its patients with the best possible oral and overall health care."

The National Cancer Institute's [ SEER website ] indicates that oral cancer is most often detected in late stages, when the 5-year survival rate is less than 50%. When detected early, however, the 5-year survival rate leaps to approximately 82%. "Early detection of oral cancer and other oral disease is not only our mission, but our reason for being," said Mr. Whitehead.

Mr. Whitehead pointed out that users of the VELscope Vx have reported that the system is easy to incorporate into the dental practice, that its exams take only 2 minutes and are completely non-invasive, and that it can be an effective way to differentiate the practice from competitive practices.

"We are committed to a philosophy of dentistry that we call 'Lifetime Care,'" said Samson Liu, DDS, MAGD, Vice President of Clinical Affairs for Heartland Dental Care. "Based on our extensive evaluation, we have determined that the VELscope Vx system can play a meaningful role in helping us provide our doctors with some of the best technology available for detecting oral cancer."

The VELscope Vx will be on display at booth 2030 at the Yankee Dental Congress dental show in Boston on January 26-28, 2012, at booth 4213 at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting on February 23-25, 2012, and at several other dental shows throughout the year.

Headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, Heartland Dental Care provides administrative support to dentists in areas such as human resources, accounting, supply and equipment procurement, marketing and customer support. Most dentists choose to affiliate with Heartland because of the extensive training programs and the professional support offered to their dental teams. Heartland Dental Care is represented in 18 states: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Company-wide, Heartland works with more than 300 dental practices and employs more than 3,500 individuals, including almost 500 dentists.

About LED Medical Diagnostics Inc.

LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, LED Dental Inc., is the manufacturer of the VELscope Vx enhanced early detection system. VELscope devices, the first to apply tissue fluorescence visualization technology to the oral cavity, are used to conduct more screenings for oral cancer and other oral diseases than any adjunctive device in the world. For more information, call +1 (604) 434-4614, or visit [ www.VELscope.com ].