Posted by Grace Staff on Tue, Nov 22, 2011 @ 03:25 PM
Submitted by:
DR. KEVIN P. Grace
ORAL CANCER – RISK FACTORS & SYMPTOMS
In The US, an estimated 36,450 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed every year. Nearly 7,880 people die annually of this disease each year. Over 90% of oral cancer arises in the epithelial surface layer of the oral mucosa.
Risk Factors:
- Tobacco also includes smokeless
- Alcohol
- Presence of the HPV (human papillomavirus) in the oral cavity
- Loose fitting dentures causing irritation, sore spots
Symptoms:
- Non-healing ulcer/wound – whether or not it is painful
- Recent pain of oral lesion
- White or red spots
- Bleeding mouth sores
- Increased mouth pain
- Loose teeth
- Poor-fitting dentures
- Non-healing extraction site
- Ear pain
- Lip or tongue numbness
- Difficulty/painful swallowing
- Change in speech
- Lump in neck
Appearance:
- Red or white or combination of both
- Can be smooth or invasive (erosion or proliferation of tissue)
- Majority of lesions seen on tongue and floor of the mouth
- Lasting more than 2 weeks
Oral cancer screening – visual and tactile exam – by a health professional is the best defense against oral cancer. The other important item for prevention is the ability of each patient to monitor symptoms and/or changes described above.
After the clinical exam, if the lesion looks suspicious, a biopsy (taking a piece of tissue for microscopic exam) will be recommended.
The most important message – the earlier the diagnosis and treatment, the better the chance for a recovery.
Posted by Grace Staff on Thu, Sep 15, 2011 @ 01:46 PM
Submitted By Dr. Kevin P. Grace
Here are some common concerns that can ruin your dental health:
- Thumb sucking - children, who suck their thumb or finger, especially after the age of 5-6 yrs old, could cause permanent changes that affect teeth and jaw position. Common effects of thumb sucking are breathing problems, chewing difficulties, malposition of teeth, speech and pronunciation concerns and jaw malformation
- Brushing too hard - if you brush too hard (pressure) and use a hard or medium brush, you are doing more harm than good. Use an ultra-soft bristle - if you wanted to paint a picket fence, you would use soft bristles to get into the nooks and crannies of the structure. Hard bristles cause notches in teeth at the gum line and causes gum recession.
- Clenching or grinding teeth - many people grind or clench their teeth at night. This excessive pressure can cause micro fractures in teeth making the tooth non-restorable and needing extraction. Existing dental restorations also suffer and will chip needing replacement before expected replacement. A simple night appliance that we can fabricate at our office can save your teeth.
- Ice crunching - for people who chew on ice, it is common that they could have an iron deficiency. A simple vitamin with iron could solve this problem. Similar to clenching/grinding of teeth (see above), significant damage can be done to your teeth.
- Teeth used as a tool - don't use your teeth as a tool to cut string, fishing line or open bottles. Once broken, the tooth needs continual care - nothing is as good as the original!
- Nail biting - like #6, get the proper cutter for the job
- Soda and sports drinks - this is a nightmare for your teeth - high acidity, high amounts of sugars and/or chemicals. There is NOTHING good about soda. InTahiti, there was no tooth decay on that island UNTIL soda was introduced. Dentists were not needed, so you can understand it is the items we eat and drink that cause the problems.
8. Acid in foods - lemons, tea, coffee, sauces, wine, soda etc. Acids erode the enamel of the teeth and the decay process begins
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Posted by Grace Staff on Wed, Aug 24, 2011 @ 01:44 PM
Our office has been recommending the Oral B rotary brush system for many years. Oral B now has a special promotion that our office can offer to our patients - $100.00 + $40.00 rebate.
This is an unbelievable opportunity to purchase this fine product - for yourself, a friend's birthday, back to school gift or a Christmas present. Offer is good until December 31, 2011.
Posted by Grace Staff on Mon, Aug 22, 2011 @ 09:28 AM
Special Day for dentites --- today is National Tooth Fairy Day!
If you know your Tooth Fairy personally, treat them well today, their special day!!
Posted by Grace Staff on Thu, Aug 11, 2011 @ 12:00 PM
SUBMITTED BY DR. KEVIN P. GRACE
WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE MOSQUITO MAGNETS???
Most important reasons a mosquito is attracted to you are sight and smell. 20% of people are “high attractors” – mosquitoes are highly visible, especially later in the afternoon, so people dressed in dark colors – black, navy or red – stand out. Movement is another cue.
Only females bite and the main attractor is your rate of carbon dioxide, so larger people or pregnant women are best targets. So drinking alcohol makes your body temp increase (vasodilatation) you might increase your risk of mosquito bites.
There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes – some species are leg and ankle biters (perhaps smell of feet?). Others prefer head, neck, arms which might be from warmth or breath smells.
OBESITY AND SLEEP --
Keeping a healthy sleep schedule allows the body's rhythms to maintain proper metabloic systems. Studies have shown that people who go to bed late eat more, have poorer diets and have higher body mass index. Adults need 8 hours of sleep to maintain those systems - those who stay up late gain as much as 2 pounds per month
Posted by Grace Staff on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 @ 03:00 PM
submitted by Dr. Kevin P. Grace
Sugar - are we killing ourselves?
Sugar is a killer – the average person eats 56 teaspoons of sugar each day!!!
There are many foods that we eat that we think are healthy, but in fact are not.
- 6 oz of yogurt ( with fruit or flavorings) has 5 teaspoons of sugar
- Cheese sticks are mostly saturated fats or chemically altered low-fat
- Bagels, even whole wheat, are simple carbohydrates that raise blood sugar rapidly and makes you crave more
Be sure to read the labels – this can tell the whole story about sugar.
Posted by Grace Staff on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 @ 09:57 AM
submitted by Dr. Kevin P. Grace
Sunscreens and toxicity
As the summer is here, the use of sunscreens becomes one of our traditional items that we use to enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, the FDA does not test these sunscreens for safety – these items are considered cosmetic, not ingested, so chemicals used are not regulated by a government agency – they are “policed” by the companies that produce sunscreens. The wolf minding the hen house!
Below is a list of chemicals known to be toxic, especially if used by children
- Para amino benzoic acid...(PABA)
- Octyl salicyclate...
- Avobenzone...
- Oxybenzone...
- Cinoxate...
- Padimate O...
- Dioxybenzone...
- Phenylbenzimidazole...
- Homosalate...
- Sulisobenzone...
- Menthyl anthranilate...
- Trolamine salicyclate...
- Octocrylene...
Potentially harmful chemicals such as dioxybenzone and oxybenzone are some of the most powerful free radical generators known to man!
So if your sunscreen contains dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, or any of the other chemicals above, switch to a formula that is safe and healthy for your skin.
Check the labels on your sunscreen, avoid using them if they contain any of the potentially dangerous chemicals named above. After all, your skin is your largest organ.
Use products that have:
Titanium Dioxide (6.0%) & Zinc Oxide (6.0%)
There is a product on the market that may be the best non-toxic sunscreen available
Go to www.mercola.com to review - while on the web page, review the natural bug spray sold by Mercola (DEET free)
Posted by Grace Staff on Sat, Apr 16, 2011 @ 01:07 PM
submitted by Dr. Kevin P. Grace
PROBIOTICS - PREVENT DECAY AND GUM DISEASE
A novel approach to dental caries and gum disease prevention is on the horizon: probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host organism when administered in sufficient amounts. The beneficial bacteria in a probiotic formulation can help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria. Examples of common probiotic applications are yogurt containing live cultures, acidophilus capsules to improve digestion, and products for improved immune system and vaginal and urinary health.
It is well documented in probiotics literature that the best benefits come from taking probiotics that are of human origin and that are natural colonizers of the site where a where a benefit is desired.
ProBiora3 is a blend of three naturally occurring strains of oral bacteria with documented oral health benefits. The three bacteria are Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus uberis, and Streptococcus rattus, originally isolated from the oral cavity of healthy subjects. This unique blend of bacteria has the ability to suppress the levels of S. mutans, the principal etiologic agent of tooth decay and species of viridans streptococci, the bacteria that cause most types of periodontal disease The beneficial bacteria colonize below the gum line, on the surface of teeth, and in the crevices of chewing surfaces.
These probiotic bacteria use up nutrients so that “bad” bacteria don’t proliferate; produces hydrogen peroxide (whitens teeth) and decreases volatile sulfur compounds (decreases bad breath). They also produce a substance called a lantibiotic – this substance actually kills the S. mutans bacteria (bacteria producing an antibiotic!)
PROCESS OF INTRODUCING THE PROBIOTIC BACTERIA AT OUR OFFICE:
- After a professional prophylaxis (cleaning) at the dental office, the “bad” bacteria levels are decreased and habitat of bacteria is disrupted.
- EvoraPro is taken for 10 days (only purchased at dental office)
- EvoraPlus taken as a maintenance dose (purchased in stores by patient)
- Probiotics must be continually exposed to the oral cavity – factors that cause Probiotic bacteria to drop in numbers are stress, medications (especially antibiotics), poor home care, life-style changes, dry mouth
- Lozenge is dissolved in mouth once or twice a day (depends on treatment needs)
- Xylitol products accentuate the beneficial effects of the probiotics
Our office is now introducing these oral probiotics to our patients. Patients who have more cavities than acceptable and the beginnings of periodontal (gum) disease are great candidates for this process.
The protocol requires about 30 days of using the oral probiotics before you will see results.
Information taken from Wikipedia and Gregory E. Oxford, DDS, MS, PhD in his article published in: Inside Dentistry, March 2011, Volume 7, Issue 3, Published by AEGIS Communications
Posted by grace staff on Sat, Mar 26, 2011 @ 11:04 AM
submitted by Kim, dental assistant
Neti pot for sinus health
In the U.S., sinus problems is the #1 reason people see a doctor. With increasing pollution, pollen and chemicals in our environment, there is an enormous rise in the number of people who suffer various forms of nasal congestion and respiratory illnesses. If the sinus is inflammed, it can mimic the pain of an abscessed tooth.
Alternative health practitioners throughout the world recommend the regular practice of nasal cleansing using a saline solution as part of a regular regimen of health and wellness, a basic health-maintenance activity equal to flossing your teeth.
Neti is a gentle, safe, efficient way to deliver a good cleansing dose of saline to the nose. Although the practice of nasal irrigation originated in India, today there are numerous people in Europe and the United States who use this simple technique as part of their daily routine.
People practice Neti on a daily basis to help keep their sinuses clean and to make their breathing easier and more free. Once they try it, most people find Neti to be a soothing and pleasant experience.
How neti is done:
A neti pot is filled with warm, slightly salted water and the spout of the pot is inserted into one nostril. The position of the head and pot are adjusted to allow the water to flow out of the other nostril.
The technique is not as uncomfortable or difficult as you may think at
first. You will be pleasantly surprised at this simple and effective practice for maintaining your health.
Once learned, neti can be done in about 3 minutes and is easily integrated into a daily routine of body cleansing such as showering or brushing your teeth.
You can find different types of neti pots at any drug store.
Posted by Grace Staff on Sat, Mar 26, 2011 @ 10:21 AM
submitted by Andrea, receptionist
How can you avoid more cavities?
- Drink lots of water, preferably fluoridated.
(Bottled water usually does not contain fluoride.)
- Eat foods that have fluoride in them
fish, tea, grape juice and green leafy vegetables.
- Eat fruits and berries that have a natural sugar called Xylitol.
Xylitol helps fight cavities.
If you are a Delta Dental member, you can receive a discount on xylitol gum at www.epicdental.com/deltadentalma
Article source: Delta Dental MA