Dental X-Rays & Oral Cancer

Dental X-Ray

• Many oral diseases can't be detected on the basis of a visual and tactile examination alone. Dental X-ray exams are valuable in providing information about your oral health such as early stage cavities, gum diseases, abscesses or some types of tumors. X-rays can help dentists catch and treat oral health problems at an early stage.
• How often dental X-rays should be taken depends on your oral health condition, your age, your risk for disease and any signs and symptoms of oral disease you may be experiencing. Let's talk about what is right for you.
• The American Dental Association has information about dental X-rays on its Web site at ADA.org if you would like more information.

Oral Cancer

• People can get lesions, sores or spots in their mouths for a variety of reasons and many times these sores go away on their own and pose no problem. However, if you have a sore or spot in your mouth that has been there for more than two weeks, it's important that it be evaluated.
• As your dentist, I routinely screen you for oral cancer by carefully examining your mouth, tongue and neck. If I find anything suspicious, I may refer you directly to an oral surgeon or physician for further evaluation or I may screen any suspicious spot or sore in my office. If I conduct a screening in my office, it can help me determine whether a referral is indicated.
• The screening I conduct in my office is just a screening... not a definite diagnosis... only a surgical biopsy can confirm if a lesion, spot or sore is oral cancer.
• The best way to prevent oral cancer is to avoid risky behaviors including tobacco and alcohol use.
• For more information on oral cancer, visit the American Dental Association's Web site at ADA.org and the Journal of the American Dental Association patient page on detecting oral cancer early here.

You and Your Dentist

How to get the most from your partnership

Think of the relationship between you and your dentist as a partnership, your dentist can offer a range of dental treatment options for many oral health problems. Theses option will vary in complexity, durability and cost but working together, you can choose the treatment options that best suit your needs and budget.

A good dentist will explain each treatment option, including it's benefits and drawbacks. It is important that you tell your dentist about yourself and your needs and you shouldn't be afraid to ask the dental team questions if necessary in order to help you understand their oral treatment recommendations.

The key to all good relationships is trust and understanding as it should be between you and your dentist, you should therefore try to build a relationships based on open and honest communication. A good dental team will be more than happy to explain the oral care program they are proposing for you but if you don't understand any aspect you may want to ask some or all of the following questions.

Can you give me a step by step breakdown as you make your oral examinations? What are the treatment options in respect of my specific needs? Are there any alternative treatments I should consider? Which of these options would give me the best outcome? What needs to be treated now and what can wait to be treated later? What can I do in future to avoid similar problems reoccurring? Concerns

Confidence and trust are key factors when visiting your dental team, a dental expert said, "Dentists are trained to understand their patients worries and cam empathize with them. Your dentist should be an expert, not just in technical dentistry but in communication, empathy, understanding and be able to deliver care in a professional manner". He also stated "that cost was actually quite low on their list of concerns, a hygienic, friendly environment is more important for most people".

Many people have a level of anxiety when visiting their dentist, probably based on a bad experience from their childhood when dental techniques were not as good as they are today. Things are somewhat different today as modern dental care and new techniques and advances mean that the discomfort you may remember from your childhood is considerably less today.

Advice

Don't wait for your dentist to sort out your problems, our expert stated "Avoid problems by sticking to a good mouth care routine in the first place, healthy teeth are within everyone's reach".

Remember you and your dentist are a team and good oral health is your goal.
About the Author Tony Forster has a keen interest in dental care and bad breath treatment and has compiled many useful resources at: www.eliminate-bad-breath.info

The content of this article is for information purposes only, it is advisable to consult your medical or dental practitioner before implementing any program or change to your current regime.

Something for the Fall...

Offer expires soon! Call our office for more information!

Post-Op Instructions: Extraction

Extraction

1- Pressure should be placed on the gauze pad that has been put over the extraction site for one hour. If the bleeding continues new gauze should be placed and pressure applied for another 45 minutes.

2- If you are supervising children who have had an extraction done, make sure they don’t bite on their numb lips or tongue (it can cause serious injury to their soft tissue).

3- Avoid eating or drinking anything hot on the day of your extraction. Also, do not rinse your mouth and do not use a straw for drinking. Do not spit and do not drink carbonated beverages. Do not brush on the day of the surgery; you can gently resume your brushing and flossing the day after.

4-You may experience some pain, bruising around your lips, and/or some swelling, especially after extraction of impacted wisdom teeth. Ice bag application and medication prescribed for you will help to minimize your discomfort.

5- Please take all the medication you have received based on the provided instructions.

6- During the first 2-3 days after surgery a diet of soft food and liquids is recommended (soup, yogurt, milkshakes and juice).

7- For more complex surgical procedures, including Impacted Wisdom Tooth Extraction, Implant Surgical Procedures, etc: You will receive an ice wrap which should be worn for the rest of the day until you go to bed on the day of surgery (10 minutes on and 5 minutes off). Instructions for various surgical treatments will have some unique directions, which will be supplied to you at the time of your treatment.

8- Call our office if you experience excessive bleeding, severe pain or swelling, or if you have any questions or concerns. In case of serious emergencies call 911.

Check back in the future to get more post operative instructions for other procedures! In case of an emergency, call 911 or our office.

Root Canals

Every tooth consists of three different layers. The outermost and hardest layer is enamel, and the second layer is dentin. The third is pulp, which is the cavernous space where the live tissue and nerve of each tooth is located.

If for any reason the pulp space is exposed to the outside, the tissue becomes contaminated and eventually infected. The exposure of pulp happens in many circumastances, such as when you have a large cavity or a fractured tooth. Your dentist can explain the exact reason for damage to this tissue. In these cases, the treatment is usually root canal treatment.

Root canal treatment is the process of goingaaa inside the pulp space and
removing the infected, dead tissue. The space is then disinfected and sealed with special materials. Nowadays, root canal treatments are performed with advanced techniques and materials, making them far more comfortable and faster. After root canal treatment is complete, your restorative dentist will usually place a crown on your tooth to safeguard against fracture.

Summer Special

How to relax in the dentists chair

Be cool in the chair!!!

If you're anything like me you'll feel varying degrees of anxiety when you find yourself sitting in the dentists chair, perhaps you can remember a specific incident from your childhood that brings back painful memories or maybe you don't like the sounds and smells involved. Being afraid of the dentist is nothing to be ashamed of and is something most of us experience at sometime in our lives.

The good news however is that modern dentistry is is now a different experience, modern dentists have a greater understanding of their patients fears and concerns and have undergone additional training to meet these concerns. Dental practices have also greatly improved with less painful treatments, more efficient practices and quicker dental treatments along with your dentists empathy make for a much nicer experience.

Lie back and think of something nice...

5 things you can do to make the experience more enjoyable...

1. Arrive relaxed, calm and on time - Plan your visit with care, be sure to allow plenty of time to arrive and park your car if driving. If you are running late or have difficulty getting there on time you will naturally be more stressed. A high level of stress can make you irritable and that makes it more difficult to control your level of anxiety.

2. Try exercising your brain - Don't just sit in the dentists chair thinking about nothing or worse still imagining what might happen but use the time effectively by thinking about something that will tax your brain. Why not have brain puzzle already prepared or perhaps you'd prefer to think about planning your next holiday or a home improvement. Whatever you do make sure you have something to occupy your mind other than what is going on...

3. You are in control - It is important that you let your dentists know how you will signal that you want them to stop now because you need a break before the dental treatment can start again. The mere fact that you can now control the situation often helps reduce anxiety and makes the treatment more bearable.

4. Music can help - A personal stereo that allows you to play your own choice of music or a talking book can help distract your mind and hide the sound of treatment.

5. Hypnosis and relaxation - Perhaps your dentists offer these techniques which are a little like day dreaming, these techniques allow you to gain control over your feelings of distress, panic or fear, if your dentist doesn't offer these services they will most likely be able to suggest somebody suitable.

Most importantly speak to your dentist and explain any fears and concerns you may have about your treatment, a good dentist will be able to empathize with your feelings and by carefully explaining what they are about to do and how, it will go a long way to resolving your issues without the need for any other technique, you may even find yourself looking forward to next visit???

About the author

Tony Forster has a keen interest in dental care and bad breath treatment and has compiled many useful resources at www.eliminate-bad-breath.info

The content of this article is for information purposes only, it is advisable to consult your medical or dental practitioner before implementing any program or change to your current regime.

All About Crowns

A crown (cap) is a restoration that is placed on teeth that have lost a lot of their structure. There are various types of crowns, ranging from full porcelain to full metal. Your dentist will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each kind for you.

The process of making a crown includes a number of steps, beginning with preparing and taking impressions of the tooth/teeth involved. A temporary crown or bridge is then placed on your teeth. Meanwhile, the impressions are sent to the lab where a mold of the teeth is poured and the work begins. The completed work is sent back to the office; after inspection and any necessary adjustments, it is cemented onto your teeth.

Brushing 101

The first step is to choose a good toothbrush. You always want to use a soft brush with a small head. A soft brush is hard enough to remove plaque, yet gentle enough not to damage your teeth or gums.

The next issue is to select good toothpaste. In general, any toothpaste that contains Fluoride will do the job, unless you have special needs that are determined by your dentist. Two of the best brands of toothpastes are Colgate Total and Crest Multicare.

The first rule of brushing is to start from a specific location and work your way to the opposite side, continuing all the way through the whole mouth so that you end where you started. This way you won't miss any area. Usually a pea-sized amount of toothpaste is enough. An adequate brushing should at least take 2 minutes and preferably around 4 minutes.

There are a variety of techniques for brushing your teeth, but one of the most popular ones is described here:

Hold the brush at a 45 degree angle toward the teeth and gums. Gently press against the gums so the tips of the bristles go in between the gum and the teeth. Then apply a few lateral strokes and roll down the brush to sweep the plaque away from the teeth and the gum. Repeat this motion 6 to 10 times and move on to the next area of 2 to 3 teeth. If your mouth is full of foam, spit out and continue brushing. Your brushing is completed when you have brushed all the surfaces of your teeth, not when your mouth is full! On chewing surfaces, short strokes work best to get the plaque out of the grooves and pits. When brushing the back side of your front teeth, hold your brush vertically to be able to reach the teeth better.

As far as frequency of brushing is concerned, ideally you want to brush your teeth after each meal. But if you can’t, brush at least twice a day- after breakfast and before going to bed.

Make an appointment with Dr. Abadan today!