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It is known that women are more susceptible to gum disease and associated periodontal problems. The primary reason for this finding is related to both normal and abnormal hormonal changes that women experience throughout their life. A few are listed below.
Puberty
During puberty, an increased level of sex hormones, such as progesterone and possibly estrogen, causes increased blood circulation to the gums. This may cause an increase in the gum's sensitivity and lead to a greater reaction to any irritation, including food particles and plaque. During this time, the gums may become swollen, turn red and feel tender.
As a young woman progresses through puberty, the tendency for her gums to swell in response to irritants will lessen. However, during puberty, it is important to follow a good at-home oral hygiene regimen, including regular brushing and flossing, and regular dental care. In some cases, a dental professional may recommend periodontal therapy to help prevent damage to the tissues and bone surrounding the teeth.
Menstruation
Occasionally, some women experience menstruation gingivitis. Women with this condition may experience bleeding gums, bright red and swollen gums and sores on the inside of the cheek. Menstruation gingivitis typically occurs right before a woman's period and clears up once her period has started.
Pregnancy
Women may experience increased gingivitis or pregnancy gingivitis beginning in the second or third month of pregnancy that increases in severity throughout the eighth month. During this time, some women may notice swelling, bleeding, redness or tenderness in the gum tissue.
In some cases, gums swollen by pregnancy gingivitis can react strongly to irritants and form large lumps. These growths, called pregnancy tumors, are not cancerous and are generally painless. If the tumor persists, it may require removal by a periodontist.
Studies have shown a relationship between periodontal disease and pre-term, low-birth-weight babies. Any infection, including periodontal infection, is cause for concern during pregnancy. In fact, pregnant women who have periodontal disease may be seven times more likely to have a baby that is born too early and too small! If you are planning to become pregnant, be sure to include a periodontal evaluation as part of your prenatal care.
Women who use oral contraceptives may be susceptible to the same oral health conditions that affect pregnant women. They may experience red, bleeding and swollen gums. Women who use oral contraceptives should know that taking drugs sometimes used to help treat periodontal disease, such as antibiotics, may lessen the effect of an oral contraceptive.
Menopause and Post-Menopause
Women who are menopausal or post-menopausal may experience changes in their mouths. They may notice discomfort in the mouth, including dry mouth, pain and burning sensations in the gum tissue and altered taste, especially salty, peppery or sour.
In addition, menopausal gingivostomatitis affects a small percentage of women. Gums that look dry or shiny, bleed easily and range from abnormally pale to deep red mark this condition. Most women find that estrogen supplements help to relieve these symptoms.
Bone loss is associated with both periodontal disease and osteoporosis. Research is being done to determine whether the two are related. Women considering Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to help fight osteoporosis should note that this may help protect their teeth as well as other parts of the body.
So, what can women do to help prevent or minimize gum problems?
Steps to Protect Oral Health:
Careful periodontal monitoring and excellent oral hygiene is especially important for women who may be noticing changes in their mouths during times of hormonal fluctuation. To help ensure good oral (and overall) health, be sure to:
- See a dental professional for cleaning at least twice a year.
- if you or your dentist notice problems with your gum tissue. Problems may include:
- Bleeding gums during brushing
- Red, swollen or tender gums
- Gums that have pulled away from the teeth
- Persistent bad breath
- Pus between the teeth and gums
- Loose or separating teeth
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
- A change in the fit of your dentures
- Keep your dental professionals informed about any medications you are taking and any changes in your health history.
- Brush and floss properly every day. Review your techniques with a dental professional.
For more information, check out the American Academy of Periodontology. Happy and Healthy Mother's Day!
Source: AAP
Nurses who care for elderly patients with dementia now have a tailored approach to dental hygiene for these special patients, thanks to a pilot study by a team of nurses. "Poor oral health can lead to pneumonia and cardiovascular disease as well as periodontal disease," said Rita A. Jablonski. According to Jablonski, assistant professor of nursing, Penn State, persons with dementia resist care when they feel threatened. In general, these patients cannot care for themselves and need help.
Jablonski and her team introduced an oral hygiene approach called Managing Oral Hygiene Using Threat Reduction (MOUTh) specifically for dementia patients. Many of their strategies focus on making the patient feel more comfortable before and while care is provided, the researchers report in the current issue of Special Care in Dentistry. "We have come up with 15 strategies -- techniques to help reduce threat perception," said Jablonski. These strategies include approaching patients at eye level if they are seated, smiling while interacting, pantomiming, and guiding patients to perform their own care by placing a hand over the patient's hand and leading. People with dementia are often no longer able to distinguish low or non-threatening situations from highly threatening situations. This happens when the parts of the brain that control threat perception -- particularly the fight, flight or freeze responses -- begin to deteriorate. As a result, patients with dementia often react to something as intimate as a nurse brushing their teeth as a perceived threat.
In the past 30 years the number of nursing-home residents who still have their own teeth has risen significantly. Many of these people need assistance with their dental hygiene, as well as with other hygiene.
Jablonski and her team conducted a pilot study with seven people who had either moderate or severe cases of dementia. The researchers used the MOUTh technique on the subjects for two weeks, recording the state of the patients' mouths and how the patients reacted throughout the study. At the beginning of the study all seven subjects had poor oral health, as determined by the Oral Health Assessment Tool. Eight categories concerning oral health are scored between zero and two. The lower the score the healthier the mouth. The average score for the subjects at the start of the study was 7.29. By the end of the study the average score was 1.00.
"To my knowledge, we are the only nurses in the country who are looking at ways to improve the mouth care of persons with dementia, especially those who fight and bite during mouth care," said Jablonski. "Our approach is unique because we frame resistive behavior as a reaction to a perceived threat."
Source: Science Daily
Glucometer testing is a simple means of determining the blood glucose level at the time the test is taken. After the discovery of insulin in the early 1900s, glucometer testing has probably done more to save lives than any other device in diabetes care. Because glucometer testing is so simple, people are willing to keep track of their glucose levels much more frequently and consistently. Some people with diabetes check their blood sugar five or six times a day, especially those taking insulin.
Right now, glucometers are not accepted as a means of screening people for diabetes but this could change in the future. If the American Dental Association (ADA) decides that glucometers are a great screening tool and dental offices are a good health care setting to do it in, then that’s wonderful. There is some hope that the ADA will look at dental offices and decide that it might be a good place to screen patients, especially those who may have some oral sign or symptom of undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes. I do not think it’s appropriate to test every dental patient for diabetes with a glucometer because of the cost. Instead, dental offices should look for signs and symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes and refer the patient to a physician for formal evaluation and testing.
Usually new medical history forms are done every 6 to 12 months in most dental practices. Patients should always be asked if they are taking any new medications before treatment is started each visit. In my opinion, patients who take insulin should test their blood sugar before treatment begins in the dental office. The risk of hypoglycemia is higher in any patient who takes insulin—always—so getting a baseline pretreatment glucose level is important. If the patient is taking oral medications instead of insulin, the risk of low blood glucose is reduced. Risk is also affected by which drug class the patient is taking since some oral agents are more likely to cause hypoglycemia than others.
Glucometers are generally quite accurate in determining blood sugar levels, within 10% to 15% of a plasma laboratory test level. There is a difference between the glucometer test and an actual laboratory blood test. The results will be different because the glucometer test is done from capillary blood pricked from the finger and a blood test is from venous blood. The capillary blood results typically show lower levels of blood sugar than the plasma derived from whole-venous blood.
If I have a long treatment planned and the patient’s glucose level is either below the average level or even at the lower end of normal, I will give the patient glucose before I start. I generally give about 4 ounces of juice, which raises most people’s glucose level by about 25 mg to 30 mg/dl.
If on the other hand, the person’s glucose level is above normal or at the higher end of normal, then I usually will not increase his or her glucose level. I will also pause mid-way through a long treatment to have the patient take his or her glucose level again just to make sure it has not decreased to a level that could cause hypoglycemia.
If a dental office elects to purchase a glucometer to test patients’ blood glucose, the dental office is now classified by the government as a medical laboratory. This is a federal law that most dentists are completely unaware of.
The law is called the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA). It was originally passed in 1988 and has been modified several times since then. CLIA is a federal quality control law that monitors medical laboratories to make sure they are doing quality controls on their equipment. The government views in-office testing as needing quality control procedures in place to assess the data because treatment decisions are made based on the quality of data gathered with in-office testing. So a glucometer is considered a laboratory testing device. Because of this, medical and dental offices that use glucometers fall under CLIA. If a physician wants to check a patient’s cholesterol with an in-office finger stick test, his or her office is now a medical laboratory. Most physician offices actually are labs. CLIA covers almost 200,000 labs in the United States and most of those aren’t actually medical laboratories. So the dental offices that keep a glucometer in their office fall under CLIA, meaning they need to be essentially approved by the government. This sounds like an onerous burden but it is actually a simple process.
Dental offices need to visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Health and Human Services’ website, www.cms.hhs.gov/center/clinical.asp, to get a CLIA certificate. Click on “CLIA: Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments” under the heading “Policies/Regulations” to find the CMS Form 116. This form is used to apply for a CLIA certificate, which registers the dental practice as a laboratory. While the form looks intimidating, most of it does not apply to the dental office using a glucometer. The dental office notes on the form that it wants to perform glucometer testing in the office to check glucose levels before and during dental treatment. Glucometer testing is called a CLIA waived procedure. So the dental office is registered as a lab to do a procedure that is actually exempt from the act. While it seems confusing, it’s really not.
The dental office becomes a CLIA waived lab, which allows the office to use its glucometer to check patients. The glucometer has to be tested using the control solutions that come with all glucometers, to make sure that the results are accurate. The waived lab designation costs $150 every 2 years. The dental office does need to post the CLIA waiver certificate that Health and Human Services will send to the office, just like licenses have to be posted.
The number one barrier to dental offices doing glucometer testing in their office is CLIA. The CLIA is not a big burden but it is a paperwork exercise, which turns many dentists off.
I think it’s good for dental offices to have their own, at least as a backup to the patients’.
If you enjoyed this post on a the management of diabetic patients in the dental office, there is a good chance you will like these posts from my blog as well:
- “6 Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health“
- "Diabetes And Oral Health"
- “The Mouth Is A Window To Your Overall Health“
- “Tooth Loss Linked To Memory Loss“
- “Healthy Gums Healthy Heart“
Invisalign braces are the most modern technology used in orthodontics, redefining orthodontic treatment. Invisalign straightens your teeth by using some plastic “mouthguard” like trays, you change every 2 weeks, for as long as needed till the end.
Any orthodontics treatment starts with the initial consultation and this doesn’t break the rule. Your orthodontist will check you with great care and, should you “qualify” for Invisalign, you’ll be ready to undergo the first step to the trays: your molds. For the Invisalign specialists to really be able to create your patient specific trays, they will need to obtain perfect dental impressions. So, don’t be scared if your orthodontist is that determined to have them perfect. They are needed this way, since your entire treatment for all these months will depend on them. At Align Technologies your impressions, the information about the course of treatment and all other initial materials, will be taken by other orthodontic specialists. They will make a positive out of your dental impressions; the plaster molds helping them see your teeth in their normal form. Because your orthodontist was so careful with those impressions, now, the Align Technologies specialists almost have your “teeth” there, and you won’t have to travel thousands of miles just so they can also do your consultation.
The plaster models are checked again and cleaned. Any residue or imperfection is manually checked and solved, so that the plaster can enter the other stage: 3D processing. State of the art scanners are able to create a three dimensional version of these plasters, and these can now be processed on the computer. A barrier coating is applied to protect it from the possible damage it can take on the next stage. Once sealed, the models get placed into a chase, then in a mixture of urethane resin and hardener. They spend some hours in a vacuum pressure chamber the resin hardens and makes them look as blocks. Each tray gets into a destructive scanning machine. This removes paper thin slices 3000 of an inch, while a digital camera takes two dimensional images of each of these slices. The computer gathers more than 300 such images to create the 3D model.
These materials get sent to the technicians, who check once again if all is correct, the teeth and also the bite as the patient has it. The graphic designers will use a proprietary 3D application to cut each tooth and save it as a separate geometrical unit. The teeth are now separated and re-grouped on each arch in the position they will have once the treatment is complete. From the initial stage to the final result, there are many intermediate stages that make up the entire treatment. These are carefully considered since the treatment is different for each patient and the entire orthodontic process needs time. As in traditional braces case, we cannot have straight teeth over night, so all these stages are just the normal tooth movement created with each aligner till the teeth are straight and the bite corrected.
The quality check process is next, so that all the process, the teeth movement, prescribed treatment etc. are correct. The orthodontist who takes care personally of the patient is the one to decide if the treatment is a “go-go”, together with the patient him/herself. This application form is called “clincheck” After all the treatment was checked and approved the aligners will be created. A series of models are created of photo sensitive thermo plastic, each of them will then be turned into an aligner. The thermo plastic sheet is pressed over each model by the use of heat. Trimming comes next so that the aligners come half a millimeter under the gum line, reducing the chances of sores and making the removal easier for the patient.
The aligners are polished and disinfected in a series of cleaning tanks, each set being then packaged, labeled and shipped to the prescribing orthodontist.
If you enjoyed this article on invisalign braces, there is a good chance you will like these articles from my blog as well:
- “How To Shorten Time In Braces“
- “How And Why Teeth Move During Orthodontic Treatment“
- “What Are Clear Ceramic Orthodontic Braces“
Update from Dr. Eric Linden
www.drgums.com
Laser Periodontal Surgery Practice:
We currently have several documented 5 and 6 year post operative LANAP ( Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure) cases showing radiographic "regenerative" changes. These cases are in the moderate to advanced periodontal disease categories. Our Laser Periodontal surgery patients are exhibiting excellent tissue responses in addition to improved radiographic bone levels. For obvious reasons, we will not be block sectioning to show further histology. But we would expect the histological findings to be similar to Dr. Ray Yukna's findings in 2007 in the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry. The type of attachment has been shown to be a "cementum mediated attachment in the absence of long junctional epithelium".
Our additional observations include rapid healing following the LANAP procedure compared to our"conventional" flap surgeries. Also, in our practice, the laser periodontal surgical procedure is considerably less traumatic and less painful in terms of the post operative experience than "traditional surgery" with sutures and periodontal packing.
We have been treating patients on blood thinners such as Coumadin and Plavix without any bleeding issues. There is no need to change the medication regimens of these patients which could adversely affect their medical risks.
In addition, we have been treating a large number of patients with the LANAP protocol before prosthetic replacements such as hips, knees, artificial joints and heart valves. We have also documented a number of patients having the Laser surgery before bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy. This laser surgical approach is much more desirable in both our healthy and medically compromised patients across our patient population in our practice.
We welcome any comments or questions and would happy to post cases as requested.
Best,
Dr. Eric T Linden
595 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677
170 West End Ave !L
New York, New York 10023
In the blossoming world of cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening procedures reign supreme. Universally valued by men and women alike, whitening (or bleaching) treatments are available to satisfy every budget, time frame and temperament.
Whether in the form of one-hour bleaching sessions at your dentist's office, home-use teeth bleaching kits purchased at your local drugstore or teeth whitening toothpastes; teeth whitening solutions abound. Yet only 15 percent of the population has tried the cosmetic procedure, and misinformation on the subject is rife.
The long and the short of it is that teeth whitening works. Virtually everyone who opts for this cosmetic treatment will see moderate to substantial improvement in the brightness and whiteness of their smile. However, teeth whitening is not a permanent solution and requires maintenance or "touch-ups" for a prolonged effect.
Bleaching vs. Whitening
According to the FDA, the term "bleaching" is permitted to be used only when the teeth can be whitened beyond their natural color. This applies strictly to products that contain bleach – typically hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.The term "whitening," on the other hand, refers to restoring a tooth's surface color by removing dirt and debris. So any product that cleans (like a toothpaste) is considered a whitener. Of course, the term whitening sounds better than bleaching, so it is more frequently used – even when describing products that contain bleach.
There are various dental tooth whitening procedures to help people fulfill their cosmetic desire. The following reveal the three most prominent types of dental tooth whitening:
In Office Tooth Whitening
Significant color change in a short period of time is the major benefit of in-office whitening. This protocol involves the carefully controlled use of a relatively high concentration peroxide gel, applied to the teeth by the dentist or trained technician after the gums have been protected with a paint-on rubber dam. The teeth are cleaned first and a protective gel is applied around the mouth to protect the soft tissues. Next, a special gel containing peroxide is applied over the teeth and a light is used to activate the gel. The gel penetrates the enamel and releases certain compounds, turning your teeth white and bleaching it in the process. This is called laser teeth whitening. Side effects including sensitivity may exist but only for a few days, after which it subsides. Generally, the peroxide remains on the teeth for several 15 to 20 minute intervals that add up to an hour (at most). Those with particularly stubborn staining may be advised to return for one or more additional bleaching sessions, or may be asked to continue with a home-use whitening system. The two most popular in office tooth whitening systems are the ‘Zoom Whitening System ‘and ‘Britesmile’.
In-office teeth whitening cost: $650 per visit (on average) nationwide.
Professionally Dispensed Take Home Whitening Kits
Dental whitening can also be achieved with the help of trays and kits dispensed by dentists. Many dentists are of the opinion that professionally dispensed take-home whitening kits can produce the best results over the long haul. The whitening gel is kept in place over the surface of the teeth with a tray worn over the teeth. Different types of trays are available; one size-fits-all tray or custom made trays specially made for each patient. The custom trays are obviously more effective since they provide the correct fit and keep the gel in contact with the teeth to be bleached. In this method the gel usually used is 10-15% carbamide peroxide. The tray is advised to be worn for a particular amount of time accordingly. Take-home kits incorporate an easy-to-use lower-concentration peroxide gel that remains on the teeth for an hour or longer (sometimes overnight). The lower the peroxide percentage, the longer it may safely remain on the teeth. The two most popular take home tooth whitening kits are Opalescence, Dash, NiteWhite, and DayWhite.
Take-home teeth whitening kit cost: $100 to $400.
Over The Counter Whitening
The cheapest and most convenient of the teeth whitening options is over-the-counter teeth whitening. In many cases this may only whiten a few of the front teeth unlike custom trays or in-office teeth whitening that can whiten the entire smile. Here are the three most common over the counter teeth whitening products:- Tooth Whitening Strips: Out of the other effective teeth whitening procedures available, tooth whitening strips may be the most economical. Most of these strips are available commercially, over the counter. The effectiveness of the result achieved depends on the brand used. These strips contain peroxide of a low concentration 6-15%, and should be worn for about an hour once or twice a day for a particular number of days. It is said to achieve a shade three times lighter than that of the teeth originally present. The strips are generally comfortable when worn and may produce only mild difficulty while talking.
- Tooth Whitening Toothpastes: Tooth whitening toothpastes seem to be one of the easiest dental tooth whitening types and are available over the counter. They are used just like normal toothpastes and may cost a little higher than the regular toothpaste. However they are not very effective and do not cause any obvious whitening effect on the teeth; though they function as well as any other toothpaste. The disadvantage may lie in the case of overeager individuals who may brush vigorously and many times a day hoping to achieve a productive result, which may do more harm than good to their teeth.
- Tooth Whitening Chewing Gum: Most commonly advertised are tooth whitening chewing gums which contain bicarb soda, also used in the tooth whitening toothpastes. May be considered the best teeth whitening products available since they are easy to use. They do not contain any bleaching agent as that used in normal bleaching systems which are more effective. The gum should be chewed for around 20mins each, four times a day. Any difference in shade would take up to four weeks to appear.
Over-the-counter teeth whitening cost: $20 to $100.
Hydrogen Peroxide vs. Carbamide Peroxide
The bleach preference for in-office whitening, where time is limited, is powerful and fast-acting hydrogen peroxide. When used in teeth bleaching, hydrogen peroxide concentrations range from approximately nine percent to 40 percent.By contrast, the bleach of preference for at-home teeth whitening is slower acting carbamide peroxide, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide has about a third of the strength of hydrogen peroxide. This means that a 15 percent solution of carbamide peroxide is the rough equivalent of a five percent solution of hydrogen peroxide.
Teeth Whitening Risks
Teeth whitening treatments are considered to be safe when procedures are followed as directed. However, there are certain risks associated with bleaching that you should be aware of:- Sensitivity: Bleaching can cause a temporary increase in sensitivity to temperature, pressure and touch. This is likeliest to occur during in-office whitening, where higher-concentration bleach is used. Some individuals experience spontaneous shooting pains down the middle of their front teeth. Individuals at greatest risk for whitening sensitivity are those with gum recession, significant cracks in their teeth or leakage resulting from faulty restorations. It has also been reported that redheads, including those with no other risk factors, are at particular risk for tooth sensitivity and zingers. Whitening sensitivity lasts no longer than a day or two, but in some cases may persist up to a month. Some dentists recommend a toothpaste containing potassium nitrate for sensitive teeth.
- Gum irritation: Over half of those who use peroxide whiteners experience some degree of gum irritation resulting from the bleach concentration or from contact with the whitening trays. Such irritation typically lasts up to several days, dissipating after bleaching has stopped or the peroxide concentration lowered.
- Technicolor teeth:Restorations such as bonding, dental crowns or porcelain veneers are not affected by bleach and therefore maintain their default color while the surrounding teeth are whitened. This results in what is frequently called "technicolor teeth."
In Closing
In addition to the aforementioned risk factors, a number of caveats should be considered before undergoing teeth whitening:- No amount of bleaching will yield "unnaturally" white teeth.
- Whitening results are not fully seen until approximately two weeks after bleaching. This is an important consideration if you are about to have ceramic restorations and want to be sure the color matches that of your newly bleached teeth.
- If cosmetic bonding, porcelain veneers or other restorations are part of your treatment plan, they should not be placed until a minimum of two weeks following bleaching to ensure proper adhesive bonding, function and shade matching.
- To avoid the technicolor effect, tooth-colored restorations will likely need replacement after bleaching.
- Recessed gums often reveal their yellowish root surfaces at the gum line. That yellow color has proven difficult to bleach.
- Pregnant or nursing women are advised to avoid teeth whitening. The potential impact of swallowed bleach on the fetus or baby is not yet known.
- “Technology Developed For Predicting Shade Color After Teeth Bleaching“
- “The History of Teeth Whitening“
- “Whiten Your Teeth With Strawberries“
- “Improve Your Life With Tooth Whitening“
Unfortunately, the translators did not know what Suzuki had in mind, and they may have chosen the wrong meaning – that the Suzuki cabinet had decided to “ignore” the request for surrender. The Japanese cabinet was understandably furious – but it was too late; Tokyo radio flashed it to America. The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima August 6 by the allies who believed that the Japanese government had refused to accept surrender. Folks are still uncertain how accurate these accounts are, but it’s an amazing story of consequence and the delicate nature of how we communicate with each other and what communication gets changed along the way.
Facts get changed, twisted, tweaked, and corrupted the more they travel from person to person. I shared a great article from my friend, Larry Guzzardo, last week about dental office communication and how important the “little things” are – verbal or non-verbal – reminding me of the story about Hiroshima. Articles, phone conversations, and emails can get tainted and changed, influenced by the experiences and colorations of different personalities and perspectives. In the dental office, “patient experience” is a powerful thing to share, as long as the message is clear. Remember the “telephone game” you played when you were a kid? You tell the little girl next to you a story, then she tells the little boy next to her the same story, but it changes a little bit. That story goes around the circle till it comes out the other side altogether different, with little bits of each courier still clinging to it. The true story was lost in translation.
A patient trying to share a positive dental experience is challenged in much the same way. This is the era of “YouTube/Facebook/Ipad/Iphone”, incredible internet bandwidth, and heavy video content on the web. If you aren’t considering trying to capture your patient experiences and share them in a simple – yet unfiltered – way, you might be missing out on the most genuine way to share who you really are and what your patients think about your dental experience. Particularly when your dentistry offers profound quality-of-life improvements that patients might like to share with others.
I speak with dentists every day that have challenges with translating a profitable business into lasting wealth in retirement. I always struggle to share the intricacies of how other dentists, with the same financial obstacles, overcame those challenges. Everyone’s financial goals are unique and, therefore, the solution becomes highly customized. Sharing these success strategies, to put their unique experience in my own words, always fails me. It’s no different for the dentist. “If only this patient could tell that patient what a positive experience they had with my dental team”, they might say. Some of the very best dental marketing firms that I partner with are effectively using video in their on-line marketing strategies with dentists.
Written testimonials have long been effective but they fail to directly translate the emotion, tone, and sincerity that video can. They allow the voice inflection, body language, and joy of a happy patient to translate purely without getting diluted in translation. Technology has allowed us to get out of our own way, so to speak, letting a happy patient express themselves. Try to capture some of those great patient experiences and communicate them effectively to achieve an authentic reflection of that dental office you’re so proud of.
When you hear the word ozone, the first thing that many people think of is air pollution. Yet ozone protects us from harmful sunlight that causes skin cancers. In fact, many critically important uses of this powerful, naturally-occurring gas are not so well known, but they serve us every day.Major cities throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world use ozone to sterilize their public water systems, and ozone is commonly used to sterilize the fruits and vegetables we eat and the bottled water and sodas we drink. It's used in air purification systems, commercial laundries, and swimming pools and spa baths.
The medical community — especially in Europe — has been using ozone for decades to speed up wound-healing and to treat a variety of diseases. Most of the original research was carried out in the U.S. and Europe in the early 1900s.
Controlled ozone application has been found to be extremely safe and free from side effects — far freer than most medications, including antibiotics. What could be more natural since our own bodies produce ozone at the white-cell level to kill offending microorganisms? The ozone molecule is the most powerful agent that we can use on microorganisms. It is deadly to bacteria, viruses, and fungi, yet the more highly evolved human cells are not damaged by ozone in lower concentrations. Ozone's pioneering use in dentistry naturally followed.
Reversing cavities
Another way of looking at ozone is to see it as an activated, excited form of oxygen. The highly unstable ozone molecule (O3) wants desperately to kick off one oxygen so it can return to the more stable O2 molecule. So, does that powerful reaction drive oxygen beneath the surface of a tooth through the tubules and kill bacteria in early decay? Does that essentially start a process that removes bacterial waste products, halts dental cavities, and begins a process of repair via accelerated remineralization? Dr. Ed Lynch and Dr. Julian Holmes, coauthors of the book, “Ozone, the Dental Revolution” (Quintessence 2004), say an unqualified “yes.”Dr. Lynch has been researching ozone for decades and has been involved in almost 100 studies on ozone's effectiveness. One of cosmetic dentistry's pioneers, Dr. Ray Bertolotti, has been touting Dr. Lynch's work for years. The KaVo Company has manufactured a dental ozone delivery unit called the HealOzone, and it is being used by dentists all over the world.
Millions of patients have already been treated with the HealOzone worldwide, and not a single adverse side effect has ever been recorded. Estimates are that there are over 100 HealOzone units currently in use in the U.S.
Originally, the HealOzone unit was about to receive approval as a medical device, but then the FDA decided to treat ozone as a new drug and started the slow approval process all over again. This has stymied sales of the units in the U.S. There is a common misconception among dentists that using ozone in their practices is illegal. Actually, ozone has been grandfathered into usage in the medical and dental world because it was in use before the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act.
There also have been rulings specifically permitting ozone use, most notoriously with the Dr. Atkins case. We can select many materials for use in our dental practices that have not had FDA approval, such as hypochlorite for endodontics. So FDA approval is not necessary and it is completely legal for dentists to use ozone.
Dentists Phil Mollica and Robert Harris have set up training here in the U.S. to teach other dentists the science of ozone, as well as its applications for their dental practices. They already have trained 150 dentists here in the U.S.
Dr. Julian Holmes from England and South Africa also regularly travels to North America to teach and train dentists in the use of ozone in modern dental care.
Uses in dentistry
Lime Technologies is a new international company with a mission to bring ozone and ozonated products not only to the dental world, but also to other types of practices including veterinary science, skin care,home, and recreation, and to help the HIV-infected community. Ozone, for instance, is ideal to treat diabetic foot ulcerations and the intractable MRSA infections.Lime Technologies made their official U.S. debut at the IAOMT meeting in February. Estimates are that many hundreds of dentists in the U.S. are now treating patients with ozone, utilizing it in a wide variety of areas including periodontal therapy, decay therapy with remineralization of early lesions, root canal treatment, tooth sensitivity, canker sores, cold sores, bone infections, and more.
Most minimally invasive
Cavities develop as the environment below the surface of the tooth becomes acidic. Ozone not only kills the acid-making bacteria, it also neutralizes their acidic waste. This creates a new environment that is hostile to the bad streps and lactobacilli that love the acid niche. A new environment allows healthier bacteria to replace the bad ones. If we just kill off the bacteria, they're back in weeks. But if we get rid of their acid niche, they are gone for two to three months. Ozone treatments at this interval just might keep teeth decay-free indefinitely!Allowing repair
The new environment that occurs following the bio-chemical change in the lesion allows minerals to flow back into the tooth, hardening and reversing the effects of decay. Early cavities can heal. The minerals to assist this repair can come slowly from the saliva or much quicker from mineral-rich solutions soaked into the teeth following the ozone treatment. Research seems to indicate that once a tooth is remineralized, it is very unlikely the decay will come back. Multiple ozone treatments over a period of months can improve chances even better.Now we have to be realistic here. If your tooth has a big hole in it, ozone isn't going to regrow that tooth structure. Not even the tooth fairy can do that! But if there is still structure remaining in the earlier phases of attack, that structure can harden. That cavity can heal, and ozone can be a big contributor to this process. Fluorides help; cleaning helps. But these modalities may not be enough compared to the power of ozone.
To improve the chances of staying cavity-free, we can seal challenging grooves of the teeth with glass ionomer such as the fluoride-rich Fuji Triage. To speed up mineralization, we also recommend the use of calcium-rich MI paste Plus or products containing Novamin (GC America). Novamin's remineralizition potential shows strong promise, and it is readily accepted by families that prefer an alternative to fluoride.
Dental ozone can also be used regularly to comfortably and immediately eliminate canker sore pain. Patients are now who seeking out dental ozone treatment at the earliest sign of a developing canker sore or cold sore. You only have to treat patients once to make a believer out of them. Meanwhile, some dentists are also using ozonated water and oils in their practices while they guide their patients to use them at home as well. Mixed into water or plant extracts, ozone allows dentists and patients to use a mouth rinse or agent that eliminates mouth infections, promotes healthy gum tissue, and accelerates surgical healing.
Differences of delivery
The KaVo HealOzone only delivers the active gas once a seal has been made with the silicone cup at the end of the handpiece. Then, and only then, will the 2,000 ppm concentration of ozone flood the area inside of the cup. If the seal breaks, the ozone ceases to flow, and any ozone that remains in the cup is vacuumed back into the main unit where it is broken down into pure oxygen that is released back into the room.The new Lime Technologies CMU3 dental ozone unit utilizes an unrestricted free flow of ozone that requires no seal. This makes it much less complicated to deliver ozone to the teeth and oral tissues that previously presented a challenge in sealing with the HealOzone. The CMU3 utilizes a lower concentration of ozone, and hence, a slightly longer exposure protocol. It is simply used with our normal high speed suction to rid the oral air of overflow ozone.
We can now bathe carious teeth in ozone and also deliver it directly deep into periodontal pockets and root canals. Full-mouth trays can also be fabricated to bathe entire arches in ozone to offer efficient, rapid therapy for early cavities and gum disease. We are just scratching the surface of this powerful technology. Look for even more radical potential uses in the years to come as ozone tackles systemic disease and modulates the immune system.
Cosmetic dentists should take note that we have also used ozone to whiten teeth. Ozone sends activated oxygen below the enamel surface, much the same way as the dental bleaches. So now imagine a day when patients come to the dentist's office and receive a whole-mouth ozone treatment to whiten their teeth, control their gum disease, and reduce carious activity. That day is upon us, and these treatments are happening in thousands of dental offices around the world and in hundreds of offices in this country. Dental ozone is right here, right now, and poised to make us look at traditional dentistry with a new set of eyes!
If you enjoyed this article on dental ozone, there is a good chance you will like these articles from my blog as well:
- “Why Some People Are More Prone To Dental Cavities Than Others“
- “New Inventions To Take The Pain Out Of Dentistry"
- “Tooth Regeneration Could Replace Dental Fillings“
Article referenced from www.dentistryiq.com
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
Feb. 15, 2011 -- Many cases of mysterious nerve damage turn out to be caused by overuse of popular denture products, an increasing number of reports suggests.
The culprit: zinc in Fixodent, from Procter & Gamble, and -- until it became zinc-free last May -- Poligrip from GlaxoSmithKline.
The body needs zinc. But because the body balances zinc and copper, people who get way too much zinc have dangerously low levels of copper. Moreover, zinc overdose itself may be toxic.
The result is bone marrow suppression and degeneration of the spinal cord, usually resulting in crippling nerve damage. It's been called "human swayback disease."
This may be a good reason for edentulous patients to explore implant therapy to retain dentures more securely or for implant supported restorations.
Read full article: http://webmd.com/oral-health/news/20110215/zinc-poisoning-linked-to-popular-denture-creams
Postmenopausal women have a new health message to hear. Two annual dental checkups aren't enough. Older women need more, according to research findings from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic. That message comes from a comparison study of women on and off bone-strengthening bisphosphonate therapies for osteoporosis. Leena Palomo, assistant professor of periodontics from the dental school, and Maria Clarinda Beunocamino-Francisco from the Center for Specialized Women's Health at the clinic, set out to study the long-term effects of bisphosphonate therapies on the jawbone, but came up with this new finding that impacts all women after undergoing menopause.
Twenty-eight postmenopausal women with normal bones were compared with 28 women on bisphosphonate therapies for at least two years or more. The participants (all between the ages of 51 and 80) received conebeam CT scans of their jaws and a complete periodontal check for dental plaque, bleeding, and loss of bone attachment and of the alveolar bone socket. Both groups of women had followed the recommended American Dental Association oral health standards to brush twice daily, floss and have at least two dental checkups a year.
The findings for bone strength and other markers for osteoporosis were similar for both groups. But the researchers found both groups had abnormally increased dental plaque levels, which could endanger the jawbone of normal postmenopausal women and reverse any benefits gained in bone mass. Bacterial dental plaque is the primary cause of gum disease and associated bone loss in the jaw. The findings suggest that post-menopausal women may have an increased risk for periodontal disease. If that bone loss isn't stopped, Palomo said, a woman could potentially lose her teeth. "Women also have to realize that bone disease and gum disease are two separate diseases," Palomo said. The bisphosphonate therapy isn't enough to keep jawbones strong and healthy, she added. That means it is very important to eliminate or reduce the dental plaque. Dr. Palomo advised that women may need to see the dentist as many as four times a year to control dental plaque by deep periodontal cleanings.
The research findings were announced in the article, "Is long-term bisphosphonate therapy associated with benefits to the periodontium in postmenopausal women?" that was published in the February issue of Menopause.
Source: Science Daily
Case Western Reserve University (2011, March 21). Message to postmenopausal women: 'Increase yearly dental checkups,' researcher urges. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/03/110310173210.htm
Journal Reference:
- Leena Palomo, Maria Clarinda A. Buencamino-Francisco, John J. Carey, Mala Sivanandy, Holly Thacker. Is long-term bisphosphonate therapy associated with benefits to the periodontium in postmenopausal women? Menopause, 2011; 18 (2): 164-170 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181e8e2a2
Photo: sodahead.com
Using a bone-creating protein to augment the maxillary sinus could improve dental implant success, according to Georgia Health Sciences University researchers. Dental implants, screws that anchor permanent prosthetic teeth, won't work if the bone in which they are anchored is too thin. Bone-thinning is a common cause and consequence following tooth loss. The current favored solution is to supplement the area with bone grafts to stabilize the implant base. But that technique is problematic "primarily because it involves additional surgeries to harvest the bone," said Dr. Ulf M.E. Wikesjö, Interim Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise in the GHSU College of Dental Medicine. In animal studies, he and his team at the GHSU Laboratory for Applied Periodontal & Craniofacial Regeneration found that implanting bone morphogenetic protein in the sinus more new bone will form within four weeks than using conventional bone grafting at the same site. "We found that BMP induced superior bone quality over that following bone grafts, which improves the chances for successful implants," Wikesjö said. "BMP is phenomenal, because it's a true, off-the-shelf product with ease of use that can produce real results, and it could be the new gold standard for this procedure."
According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 69 percent of adults ages 35-44 have lost at least one tooth due to decay, disease or trauma, and 26 percent of adults have lost all permanent teeth by age 74. Before dental implants were available, the only options for replacing these missing teeth were dentures and dental bridges, both of which could lead to further bone loss. Implants provide patients with numerous benefits, including improved oral health, appearance, speech, convenience, durability and ability to eat.
The findings of his team's pilot study were presented March 4 at the Academy of Osseointegration annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Wikesjö's GHSU co-investigators include Drs. Jaebum Lee, Cristiano Susin, Nancy Rodriguez and Jamie de Stefano.
Kudos to the these researchers who continue to look for ways to improve our surgical outcomes and improve the quality of life for our patients! Your comments are appreciated.
Source: Science Daily
Georgia Health Sciences University (2011, March 6). Bone-creating protein could improve dental implant success. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/03/110304151018.htm
People have worn gold, silver, and jewels in their ears, nostrils, eye brows, and belly buttons for years. It should come as no surprise that the next place to flash some jewelry is in your smile. Tooth jewelry has been very popular in Europe for years and is just starting to become popular in the United States.
Tooth jewelry is bonded to the enamel of a tooth. The tiny spot where the jewel is placed is etched to make the surface microscopically rough. Some bonding liquid and a drop of dental composite are then bonded with the jewel onto the surface of the tooth. The process is quick, simple, and painless.
Tooth jewels come in many shapes and stones. There are gold and white gold jewels with designs such as, stars, hearts, motor cycles, crosses, golf balls, butterfly’s, etc.. Jewels come in many colors including, amethyst, blue, pink, white, and red.
Dental jewelry is subtle, but certainly will get you some attention, or at the very least, help you start a conversation when you smile. For dental hygienists, the latest trend in tooth jewelry might lead to increased visits from patients. That's because without professional application and appropriate dental hygiene, these hot new itty bitty bits of sparkly bling could lead the way to increased dental damage.
The reason? Bacteria and plaque can build up around tooth jewels, irritating the gums, which as any dental hygienist can tell you is the first step towards dental decay.
From Grills to Tooth Jewels
While it may come as a surprise to some, tooth jewels have been designed to be less problematic than those other trendy dental accessories, dental or mouth grills. Since most mouth grills cover the whole tooth and often come into contact with the gum line, they have already been identified as a serious dental hygiene concern by the American Dental Association. That's because even though the owners must practice scrupulous dental hygiene and regularly clean the grills, most people don't.
Are Tooth Jewels Safer Than Dental Grills
The new dental jewels are not yet listed on the ADA Web site as potential dental hygiene risk; however, smaller tooth jewels, which are applied to the teeth with a specialized adhesive, are still quite new. And, while there are tooth jewel kits that people can use to install them at home, it is best to consider having your dentist install them (after seeing a dental hygienist for a thorough cleaning of course) to ensure they are properly fitted and are securely adhered, reducing the risk for potential tooth damage and decay.The Best Bling: Regular Care From A Dental Hygienist
While mouth grills and tooth jewels may look like fun accessories, those looking to have true mouth bling might consider more regular trips to the dental hygienist for cleanings as they can cause damage to teeth. After all, a bright, clean, healthy smile - the kind of smile that comes from top notch dental hygiene - is tough to beat.If you enjoyed this article on tooth jewelry, there is a good chance you will like this:
Thanks for reading !!
Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (ANUG), more commonly known as “trench mouth” for its common occurrence among soldiers in the trenches during World War I, is a painful gum disease caused by the gram negative bacteria known as spirochetes.
Trench mouth is commonly associated with stress and acute anxiety, which, for teens, can take place around exam times, but it can occur in anyone going through an acute period of stress — if the underlying conditions are right.
It is often associated with an underlying or pre-existing minor gingivitis in individuals who may have not been taking good care of their oral health, brushing, flossing and getting regular dental checkups and cleanings. ANUG is also commonly associated with smoking, which seems to dry the mouth and change the bacterial flora — the normal bacteria that reside in the mouth, and is even necessary for health.
Trench Mouth Symptoms:
- Severe gum pain
- Bleeding from gums when they're pressed even slightly
- Red or swollen gums
- Pain when eating or swallowing
- A gray film on your gums
- Crater-like sores (ulcers) between your teeth and on your gums
- A foul taste in mouth
- Bad breath
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes around your head, neck or jaw
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Trench Mouth Disease Treatment (ANUG)
ANUG is very treatable and completely reversible if caught early. Most importantly, contact your dentist or a periodontist (a dentist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of gum diseases), to confirm that this is indeed what you have. Although ANUG is quite easy to diagnose by a trained professional, there are other conditions that it could be confused with, which range from viral infection to localized malignancy (cancer).Treatment is aimed first at relieving the symptoms and then the underlying or predisposing conditions that led to it. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain controlling medication of the aspirin and ibuprofen family are ideal for this situation, in addition to prescription antibiotics. Metronidazole is an antibiotic that works well to kill the specific bacteria associated with ANUG; amoxicillin is broad-spectrum penicillin that also works well in treating the acute phase. These are antibiotics that must be taken orally to work their way through the body. Taken together with chlorhexidine, a prescription antibacterial mouthrinse, and saline (mild saltwater) rinses, symptoms should abate within 24 to 48 hours.
It is also important to treat the underlying conditions that led to the ANUG in the first place. Good oral hygiene including training in brushing and flossing technique, together with treatment for any underlying chronic gingivitis, generally by thoroughly and meticulously removing stain, bacterial biofilm and calculus (tartar) from the teeth, will allow the gums to heal. In addition, if there is underlying periodontal disease this should also be treated. Quitting smoking, getting rest and maintaining good nutrition are also important.
If only the acute symptoms are relieved, or only the acute phase is treated, the condition can become chronic. The papillae (triangle of gum in between the teeth), which initially becomes ulcerated and necrotic, will not heal and will become permanently lost or blunted. Chronic necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis can affect the deeper structures becoming chronic necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis, particularly if there is a pre-existing periodontitis, with both gum tissue and tooth supporting bone loss.
Therefore, it is very important to see your dentist or periodontist immediately to have this treated before the condition becomes serious.
If you enjoyed this article on trench mouth, there is a good chance you will like this:
- “Gum Disease In a Nutshell“
- “Whoopi Goldberg's View On Gum Disease“
- “Gum Disease Is The Leading Cause Of Tooth Loss“
- Gatorade
The finding that the effects of Gatorade on teeth are worse than Coke and Red Bull doesn't mean that Gatorade and other sports drinks are necessarily harder on your teeth than are Coke and other soft drinks. But it may be a surprise that they aren't any better.
I don't think everybody realizes how erosive these things are, especially Gatorade and Red Bull. People need to be aware that all sorts of beverages can be causing dental erosion. More and more dentists now think sugary drinks are the major culprit in tooth decay, says Brian Burt, PhD, professor emeritus of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
"There is pretty good evidence now that this is not just sports drinks, but soft drinks and juices in general," said Burt. "They have become the main source of sugars in the diet. It comes down to the more sugar in the drink, the more risk of [cavities] to the person drinking it."
Effects Of Gatorade On Teeth
The University of Iowa researchers covered extracted teeth with nail polish. They left bare two patches on each tooth, one on the enamel and one on the root. Then they dunked the teeth in test tubes filled with regular Coke, Diet Coke, Gatorade, Red Bull, or 100 percent apple juice.
Every five hours, the researchers refreshed the beverages. After 25 hours, they examined the teeth with a microscope. All of the beverages eroded the bare spots on the teeth. But different beverages had significantly different effects. On the enamel, Gatorade was significantly more corrosive than Red Bull and Coke. Red Bull and Coke, in turn, were significantly more corrosive than Diet Coke and apple juice.
On the roots of the teeth, Gatorade was more corrosive than Red Bull. Coke, apple juice, and Diet Coke followed in that order. The difference in the effect isn't simply due to their sugar content. Gatorade is 6 percent carbohydrates, mostly sugars. Coke is about 10% sugar. Both are acidic beverages.
University of Michigan pediatric dental researcher Michael Ignelzi, DDS, PhD, has recently reviewed new research on the effects of beverages on children's teeth. But he says there's no evidence showing that sports drinks are any worse than other soft drinks . "I know of no data that sports drinks are more harmful than other drinks," said Ignelzi.
- Tooth Erosion
Sports Drinks and Cavities
Because of their acidity and sugar content, researchers have studied the role of sports drinks in the development of cavities. Most of the studies, however, exonerate the sports drinks.
Craig Horswill, PhD, senior research fellow at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, in 2005 reported a study of saliva flow in endurance athletes who drank Gatorade, diluted orange juice, a homemade sports drink, or water. The study showed that if the sports drinks had any effect, it was to decrease dehydration and increase saliva flow, which reduces cavity formation.
More to the point, a 2002 Ohio State University study of 304 athletes found no link between sports-drink use and dental erosion. The study was sponsored by Quaker Oats, which makes Gatorade. "Dental erosion among users of sports drinks in the Ohio State study was the same as it was in nonusers," said Hoswill. "And they averaged 10 years of sports drink use." Ignelzi says that what matters most isn't which beverage people drink. It's how and when they drink it.
"A lot of things can cause cavities, including sugared drinks. It is the way they are taken that is most important," he says. "The frequency of exposure is key. If you sip a Pepsi all day, that is very harmful. But if you are taking any sweet or carb -- cheese puffs, bread, raisins -- if you take it during meals, it is a good thing. Because the saliva stimulated by your chewing buffers the acid. But if you are constantly snacking on sweets or sipping a sweet beverage, your teeth are exposed to acid all day long."
If you enjoyed this article on how Gatorade erodes teeth, there is a good chance you will like these articles from my blog as well:
- “How A Mouthguard Can Change The Game“
- “Mouthguards And Concussion Prevention"
- "Dental Trauma In College Athletics"
Thanks for Reading !!
Cosmetic dentistry is the growing trend in our modern society and more helpful for those which are always worried about their bad impressing teeth and faded teeth. In San Francisco, Dr. Bruce Hartley is an expert in providing quality look, and long lasting standing to your teeth that would never be discolored over time, and you can smile without any hesitation . Many people sought some traditional way to sort out their teeth related problems, but traditional dentist treat simple oral care disorders like cavities, tooth decays, gum diseases, chip while cosmetic dentistry is a kind of dental work that provide the permanent solutions to uneven teeth, gaps between the teeth, bad colored teeth that improves the function and appearance of an individual teeth. Peninsula center of cosmetic dentistry is an excellent teeth care center that provides an efficient and effective treatment to your teeth that makes you able to able to smile freely in the society or group of people.
Sedation dentistry is the procedure by which anyone can treated to their without feeling any anxiety. Sedation dentistry in San Francisco covers all the four level of sedation and effectively treats it. The four levels of sedation include:
1. Deeper sedation - IV Sedation
2. Moderate sedation - Nitrous Oxide and Oral Sedative in combination
3. Light sedation - An oral sedative (a pill)
4. Light sedation - Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas).
Intravenous sedation/conscious sedation is more deeper, more reliable and can be easily adjusted to an individual patient. In Sedation dentistry San Francisco, Dr. Hartley makes this procedure free from all the anxiety, and even you feel no pain at all after all the dental procedure, by using the different level of sedation and by drowsing your teeth vein. While dental procedure, you will be breathing on your own and you will have no memory of your procedure when you wake.
If you are having curly or irregular teeth and feel shameful to smile in front of a public or audience, then here is the permanent solution for this problem and Invisalign dentistry San Francisco will make your irregular teeth to straighten teeth by using aligners and you can freely smile without any hesitation. Dr. Hartley efficiently treats almost every cases of Invisalign in about half time in comparison to traditional braces. It's definitely the great option for adult and teens as well, to get rid of their curly teeth by taking a little bit of patience and money. Dental implants is the easiest way to replace the missing teeth or to setup a whole set of your mouth teeth. Dental implants are the proven, long lasting alternative, to bridges and dentures and are the most suitable substitute to fill the missing teeth gaps. Also dental implants are permanent, as strong as your natural teeth, never be discolored over time, and work well as your natural teeth.
San Francisco invisalign | Cosmetic Dentist | San francisco cosmetic dentistry
Our bodies are changing all the time as we age, going from infant and toddler to active senior still in the game. So changes to various body parts are routine. We may see a new mole, but not recognize it as a potential danger sign of a simple skin cancer. Men may visit the bathroom 30 times a day due to an enlarged prostate gland and either choose to live with it or simply accept frequent urination as part of the aging process. Living with changes, or ignoring change, is especially true of oral cancers – cancer of tongue, lips, checks, esophagus, larynx and other body bits around your mouth. As with all cancers, the earlier a cancer is detected and treatment undertaken, the better the outcomes. This is especially true of tongue cancer and other oral cancers, yet how often do we examine ourselves for early signs of oral cancer?
You’re the one most familiar with your body and the changes and phases it goes through. You’re also in the best position to discover changes that may indicate a form of oral cancer is present since you spend more time looking at your mouth than anyone else. So, what to look for? Well, oncologists – medical doctors who specialize in the prevention and treatment of cancer, have some suggestions. These tips for self examination don’t take long, they don’t hurt, you can do them yourself and, in the process, make yourself a strong advocate for your own good health.
Here are seven simple self-examine steps you can take to help identify oral cancers in their earliest stages, so you can get yourself into a treatment program NOW!
1. Tongue and floor of the mouth
- Look in a mirror and stick out your tongue.
- Examine the upper surface of the tongue for any unusual lumps or obvious changes in color. Dark blotches, for example, on the upper surface of the tongue should be examined.
- Pull the tongue forward and examine the sides for lumps, bumps, masses and, again, obvious changes in skin color or texture. If you discover any obvious swelling, see a doctor. Oral cancers are often painless, making them difficult to diagnosis based on pain. But you can see oral cancer, in many instances, early enough to solve the problem as an out patient. How cool is that?!
- Examine the underside of your tongue by placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Same procedure. See any unusual bumps, lumps, swelling or changes in skin color.
- Your tongue should have a uniform texture and uniform color. Glide you finger along the underside of your tongue to feel for unseen bumps. Any deviation should be examined by your family doctor first to see if a visit to an oncologist is step #2.
2. Examine the roof of your mouth
The roof of the mouth is easy to examine with your eyes and with your fingers. Tilt your head back as you stand in front of a mirror. Position yourself so you get a good view of the entire upper mouth.Perform a visual exam for discoloration. Then gently slide your finger over the roof of your mouth feeling for any kind of protrusion. (Pizza blisters don’t count.) If you feel anything out of the ordinary, report to your doctor stat!
3. Check your cheeks
Visually inspect your cheeks. Extend them (be gentle) to look for red, white or dark-colored patches. Next, place your forefinger on the interior check and your thumb on the outer cheek. Gently squeeze as you rotate you fingers across the entire cheek. This is the best way to detect lumps, bumps or swelling – through the sense of touch. Cheek cancer can often be felt before there are any visible symptoms.4. Head and Neck
Stand with your head straight up in front of a mirror. Usually, your face is uniform, i.e., has the same shape on both sides. However, a lump, bump or other protrusion on one side of the face is a definite signal to see your doctor. It may be nothing, it may be something. In either case, it’s worth checking out and a visit to your family doctor is the best place to start when you first detect unevenness within your facial structure.5. Lips
The lips are highly sensitive to sunlight and lip cancer is one possible (and unfortunate) result. Open your mouth and examine both the outer and inner lip for changes in color or texture. Gently extend you lips to get the best view of the interior lip area. (You may have to do a little twisting to get the view you want. If so, use a hand mirror to get a good look at the interior lip surface.) Discoloration and protrusions are sometimes early signs of lip cancer. However, you accidently bite your lip, the lips are constantly moving as you talk, you moisten your lips with your tongue and so on, so expect to see changes. Even the seasons change the exterior portion of the lip so dried lips in the middle of winter aren’t a sign of cancer, though you may want to get some chap stick to keep lips moist.6. Neck Area
This is where the esophagus and larynx are located, but we can’t see that far down our own throats, even if we stand on our heads. (Please don’t try this at home.) However, using a feather-light touch, gently slide you fingers along the sides and front of your neck feeling for any lumps that you discover on one side of your neck but not the other. Use your finger tips to gently glide over the skin of your neck feeling for anything out of the ordinary. Next, apply a small amount of pressure as you slide your fingers over the skin. This time note any tenderness, soreness of swelling. So, first a gentle exam, and then add a little pressure to identify any soreness or swelling.7. A Persistent Cough
You can feel it and hear it – a cough that just doesn’t go away. Often, you chalk it up to a cold, but you don’t have any symptoms of a cold. Just that cough. Smokers (28% of Americans still smoke despite all the solid evidence that smoking is bad for just about every part of your body) may experience “smoker’s” cough that comes and goes. This often occurs when the upper portion of the lungs become irritated.It also occurs when the airway to the lungs becomes irritated and inflamed. Most smokers just live with it, though for many, not as long. Quitting, even for a couple of days, will sometimes clear up a case of smoker’s cough but if you still have a scratchy sore throat even though you’ve given up smoking until your throat feels better, make an appointment to see your doctor.
There are some other things you can do to ensure early detection of mouth cancers beside kicking butt. Ask your dentist to perform an examine each time you’re in for a cleaning. Some dental professionals perform this examine routinely. All will be happy to give your mouth and throat a good look if you ask.
Make examining your mouth part of your oral hygiene regimen each day. Takes less than a minute, you get a better feeling for what’s going on in there (and therefore can more easily identify changes), and you may hit the jackpot and discover a form of oral cancer before it even has the chance to do any damage.
Today’s treatments, using computer-assisted and robotic surgery, deliver better outcomes for those who do find a lump, bump or notice a dark spot on the cheek that wasn’t there six months ago.
Take the time to check for oral cancers. It may give you more time, even though it only takes a minute.
If you enjoyed this article on signs of oral cancer, there is a good chance you will like these articles from my blog as well:
- “Oral Cancer: Improving Outcomes“
- “Oral Sex Increases Risk Of Oral Cancer“
- “Michael Douglas Fights Oral Cancer“
- "Oral Cancer And Robotics Surgery"
- “Oral Cancer Mortality Rates“
Veneers Hands On Course
11 May 2011 The Address Hotel Dubai Marina, Dubai UAE
Estimated CME 8 Hours
Tutor – Dr. Munir Silwadi, UAE
Learn more: http://www.cappmea.com/courses/veneers_course_agenda.php
Registration link: http://www.cappmea.com/courses/veneers_course_registration.php
Contact CAPP:
Tel: +971 4 3616174
Fax: +971 4 3686883
Mob: +971 50 2793711
Email: events@cappmea.com
