Early Symptoms of Palate Cancer

Many doctors are quoted saying that prevention is better than cure. This is because they understand that patients stand a better chance at steering away from an illness or infection than they sometimes do from getting healed. This is especially for the times a disease has gone too far and is almost irreversible.

It is also better to detect something from its early stages and do well to treat it thus dealing with it before it can cause further damage. This is the same case even with dentists. They would rather catch the early signs of palate cancer on a patient and get to treat them before it can extend.

Who Is Most Susceptible To Palate Cancer?

People who abuse alcohol and smoke are at the highest risk of getting most oral diseases. This is why it is advisable to stay away from these habits. You should also avoid sweet and sugary foods including sodas. This is because they weaken the minerals in your teeth and encourage tooth decay. Brushing teeth at least twice a day and flossing once can help prevent your mouth from contracting any of these diseases.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Palate Cancer?

The first sign is that a mass begins to grow on the roof of the mouth that bleeds. There is also evidence of a foul breath. Dentures stop fitting and one experiences loose teeth, there is a lump in the neck and one has difficulty in swallowing. One can also note changes in speech as the jaw becomes heavy.

It is important to have regular checkups so that the dentist can note any of these abnormalities and begin treatment. Call us today and book your appointment where a doctor will take you through thorough checkup and answer any questions you might have.

Does Whitening Come at the Expense of Your Enamel?

Many people around the world want white teeth. They can signal good health to observers, and even look great for photos when there is a big occasion. However, you may have heard that teeth whitening can cause damage to the enamel of your teeth. Enamel wear can be a problem since enamel is the outer protective layer of our teeth.

When enamel suffers excessive wear, it can cause problems such as tooth sensitivity, early tooth decay, and gum disease.

Teeth whitening can cause severe damage when done improperly, but done professionally can be safe and even promote good oral hygiene.

At home teeth whitening kits, toothpastes, and mouthwashes have gained popularity in the recent years. These products can make your teeth whiter, but chances are they will either be ineffective or cause irreversible damage to your teeth’s enamel. This is because many products are not strong enough to help whiten teeth while others are much too strong and can be dangerous if used improperly. If you decide you want whiter teeth, we recommend you come in for a visit so that we can do it properly.

How Will We Whiten Your Teeth?

When you come in for a tooth whitening procedure, we will first assess why your teeth are not as white as they could be. This is a very important step to take when dealing with whitening, because different products can be used for whitening teeth and using the wrong product may actually make your teeth look less white. This is also one reason we recommend visiting us for whitening instead of resorting to at home products which try to indiscriminately use different products to create whiter teeth.

After deciding which method to use for your particular teeth, we will perform the whitening carefully. Our training teaches us the proper way to whiten teeth while keeping your enamel protected from harm. Once the whitening is completed, we will be able to give you helpful information on how to keep your teeth white for longer and how to keep them healthy following the whitening.

The bottom line is that at home teeth whitening can be dangerous to your teeth’s enamel, and it is better suited to be done in our office. If you have more questions about our teeth whitening services, please give us a call. We will be happy to schedule an appointment for you or even talk about our teeth whitening methods.

Dangers Associated with an Oral Piercing and Your Teeth

Many people consider body piercings as a form of facial expressions. While piercings to your tongue might look cool and trendy, they still pose some dangers to your overall health and wellbeing. This is because our mouths are filled with bacteria. On top of that, swelling and infections tend to occur when we have mouth piercings.

For example, because of the piercing, your tongue or mouth might swell such that it might end up closing your airways. Alternatively, you could choke if the piercings decide to break off inside your mouth. In other instances, you might crack a tooth in case you choose to bite too hard on your piercings. Moreover, repeated clicking of the jewelry against the teeth might cause damage as well.

Oral piercings might also lead to several serious infections such as endocarditis and hepatitis.

Common Dangers of Oral Piercings

Swelling, Pain, And Infection
Your mouth happens to be a moist environment, and thus, it’s home to a significant number of bacteria. This, in turn, makes it an excellent place for infections. Oral infection may quickly end up becoming life-threatening when it’s not treated promptly. There are chances that a piercing might cause the tongue to swell, thereby blocking your airways.

Damage To Teeth, Fillings, And Gums

A habit of playing or biting on piercings might injure our gums and in turn, leading to sensitive, cracked or scratched teeth.

Nerve Damage

After undergoing a piercing, you might develop a numb tongue that’s a result of nerve damage that’s usually temporary. However, there are instances when it can be permanent. An injured nerve might affect how you move your mouth and also your sense of taste.

If you have any signs of infections in your mouth, then make a point of reaching out to us. Some of the signs that you should look out for include fever, pain, chills, red-streaked appearance, and shaking.

Can Wisdom Teeth Remain in Place?

10 million wisdom teeth get ripped out of the back of Americans – mouths a year. For decades, the procedure was performed only when the teeth, also known as third molars, were causing real trouble. After World War II the ranks of dentists exploded, and with them recommendations that people get their third molars removed as a precaution.

35% of the population is born without wisdom teeth and another 30 percent possess wisdom teeth that never come out. It begs the question; Is it really necessary to have them removed? Our office has put together some content on the subject.

When is Teeth Removal Needed?

Wisdom teeth need to be removed if during x-rays it shows they are going to cause problems or are already becoming issues. They can start erupting into an abnormal position, such as tilted, sideways or twisted. They can become trapped below the gum line due to lack of space to come through. An infection has developed from trapped food, plaque, and bacteria known as pericoronitis. The way that someone’s teeth bite together has changed, causing a misalignment of the jaws. The wisdom tooth has come through, but lacks proper hygiene due to inability to reach it, resulting in decay.

Research For Keeping Them

Growing bodies of research indicate that we might be putting people through the risk of expensive tooth removal for no reason. The UK gave up on routinely removing wisdom teeth without solid evidence back in 1998, after a study at the University of York concluded that there was no scientific evidence to support it.

That same year, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh said that for patients who don’t have a condition related to third molars, removal is “not advisable”. 1988 a study showed that only 12 percent of 1,756 middle-aged people who didn’t have their impacted wisdom teeth removed when they were young experienced a complication.

It really comes down to your personal choice and preference combined with getting good information from our dentist about the condition of your wisdom teeth. Trusting us to give you accurate information about where your teeth are heading and the direction you want to go next is as good a direction as can be recommended until further research is conducted.

Types of Tea That Can Improve Oral Hydration

A dry mouth can lead to a variety of dental problems. The best way to prevent these problems from happening is to keep your mouth hydrated. There are several things you can turn to for help with this. The question becomes what the best way is to keep and improve your oral hydration. Some believe the answer to this question is found in different types of tea. Learning the right types of tea to do this can help improve your oral health.

The Importance of Oral Hydration

Saliva in the mouth is very important. Some people may not like it when they have an excess amount of saliva. They are constantly swallowing it or spitting it out. While you may not like the saliva in your mouth, it does play an important role in your oral health.

The saliva helps remove the bacteria that is always growing in the mouth. People who do not have the saliva they need deal with a dry mouth. Dry mouth can cause more bacteria to grow and that can lead to a variety of problems including tooth decay, gum disease and cavities.

Turning to Tea

Tea is more than just a liquid that fights dry mouth. Black and green tea contains polyphenols which can help with your oral health. They can fight the bacteria that grows in the mouth and that can slow down the production of saliva.

While black and green teas can help with oral hydration through the chemicals they contain, fruit teas will not help because they are not technically a tea. They do not contain the same chemicals and nutrients found in black or green tea.

Like many things while black and green tea can help with oral hydration, moderation is the key. Drinking too much tea means consuming more caffeine and ends up losing some of the health benefits you hoped to get from the tea.

Call our office today if you would like to learn more!