What If A 5-minute Scan Could Save Your Life?

Dr. John Robinson: According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, someone dies from oral cancer every hour of every day in the U.S., and those numbers are increasing every year. Late diagnosis is often the culprit because oral cancer may not be noticeable or painful, and tobacco use is not the only cause. When diagnosed in the early stages of development, oral cancer victims have an 80% to 90% survival rate! With recent publicity surrounding actor Michael Douglas’s diagnosis of stage 4 oral cancer, public awareness of the need for earlier detection of this deadly disease has increased considerably.

If you are a fan of The Dr. OZ Show, last fall you may have seen a segment of the show titled, “A Trip to the Dentist Could Save Your Life.” During the episode, the advantages of a revolutionary new oral cancer screening device known as the VELscope was featured.

Always at the forefront of new technology, Robison Dental Group has been providing our community with the benefit of the VELscope screening system. It’s the only innovative dental device recently recognized by the World Health Organization as addressing global health concerns. In less than five minutes, a non-evasive and painless VELscope examination can be completed to identify precancerous lesions which are not visible to the naked eye.

At Robison Dental Group, we feel strongly about the advantages this technology offers and want to encourage you to get examined during Oral Cancer Awareness Month. That’s why during the months of April and May we are offering this potentially lifesaving scan for only $10!

Call us today to schedule a screening at 734.453.6320 or 888.66.SMILE!!

Now that warm weather has arrived and children are spending more time outdoors, it’s a good time to warn them about accidents that could result in fractured teeth.

Share the following safety rules with your child.

• Remain seated on a swing.  Don’t jump from or walk under a moving swing.  Children often lose teeth from being hit in the mouth by a swing.
• Don’t run or push on the pool deck.  Always use a ladder to climb out of a swimming pool.  Each year many children hit their mouth on the concrete or tile edge of swimming pools, often damaging teeth.
• Leave the person drinking from a fountain alone until he or she is finished.  Hitting, pushing or throwing things could cause the person to hit their teeth on the metal faucet or edge of the fountain, possibly injuring them.
• Never trip or push anyone during outdoor games.  The person could lose their balance, fall and hit their mouth or teeth.
• If you have to ride your bicycle in the rain, be very careful.  Wet pavement is slippery and dangerous.  And always remember to wear a helmet.

Hopefully, your summer will be safe and healthy.  But should an accident occur, Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry will be there for you.  Just call us at 313-292-5590.  Even on weekends, one of our highly trained office staff is available to take your call and get you the dental care you need.  It is our goal to keep your smile beautiful and your mouth healthy.  For more dental health information visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. Enjoy your summer!

PatientFYI: When the days are long, the weather gets hot, and the kids are out of school, families tend to raid the refrigerator more often – for snacks and cold drinks.  In fact, studies have shown that people develop more tooth decay during the summer months than at any other time of the year.  So it’s even more important to have lots of sugar-free, nutritious foods and beverages on hand, because they’re better for your family’s teeth, as well as being low in calories and easy on the budget.Excellent choices for snacking are fresh fruits and vegetables – like berries, citrus, melon, peaches, grapes, slices of green or red peppers, or carrots and celery sticks.  Other good ideas include nuts, cheese, eggs, plain yogurt; crackers, bread sticks and popcorn.  Instead of ice cream or popsicles, try freezing unsweetened fruit juices. Or try combining peanut butter on apples slices, it’s delicious.

For beverages consider unsweetened ice tea or natural fruit juice, but not fruit drinks which are high in sugar.  The best cold drink, of course, is ice water… but don’t chew on the ice!

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, it is our goal to make and keep your smile beautiful.  Should you have any questions about the latest ways to keep your mouth healthy or any other dental related topic, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com.  Have a great summer and we are looking forward to seeing you soon.

PatientFYI: A kiss is not JUST a kiss!!!  Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry had dental students kiss bacterial culture plates to tell how much bacteria is transferred in a kiss.THE RESULTS:

- A 12-second kiss has double the bacteria of a 2-second kiss.

- Lipstick reduces bacteria.

- Kissers with mustaches spread more bacteria than kissers with a hairless lip.

- More bacteria are on lips when kissing occurs first thing in the morning.

Not that we would want to discourage anyone from kissing, we would however encourage conscientious home care.  Brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste not only make teeth stronger and more resistant to decay, but also slows down how fast bacteria reproduce.  And of course we can’t say enough about the benefits of flossing and using a tongue scraper in reducing the levels of bacteria in the mouth.  Although it is nice to share, let’s not share germs.

It has been shown in others studies than if one person has gum disease (which is caused by bacteria), it can be transferred to their partner.  So besides good home care make sure you keep up on your regular preventive dental visits.

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, it is our goal to keep your smile beautiful and your mouth healthy.  Should you have any questions about this or any other dental related topic including the latest ways to give you a beautiful smile, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

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PatientFYI: Recent research has shown that most Americans are not doing a simple activity that will keep their smiles looking beautiful, reduce cavities, prevent tooth loss and as many dentist and physicians now believe – significantly reduce the chance of heart disease and strokes.

Even though most of our patients swear they do this activity, according to the American Dental Association, more than 90% of Americans don’t!  That simple activity?  You guessed it – it’s flossing your teeth.  And a quick and strenuous attempt to floss right before your dental visit doesn’t fool us!  But please read on, because there is hope for everyone!!

Flossing is the best way to clean bacteria and debris from the spaces in between your teeth and underneath your gums.  Left in place, that harmful film can cause cavities and gum disease, eating away at the bone that actually holds your teeth in place and causing your teeth to loosen and eventually be lost.  Scarier yet – recent research has linked gum disease to heart disease and strokes.   So don’t throw in the towel (or floss!) yet.

Any activity requires practice.  You couldn’t drive without lessons and a few thousand miles on the road.  You couldn’t type the first time you sat down at a keyboard.  And though flossing is much easier than either of those activities, many people try it a few times and then frustratingly proclaim “I can’t floss!”  Well with a little patience and practice you can!  And some of the better flosses on the market (such as “Glide”) make it much easier than it was in the past.

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry we really want you to keep your teeth the rest of your life and be as healthy as you possibly can.  That definitely involves flossing every single day – and we know you can do it!  Feel free to give us a call at 313-292-5590 and we will arrange for one of our fantastic hygienists, Gaye, Cheryl or Marissa, to give you a free flossing lesson.  Or just ask during your regular cleaning appointments.  No one is a “natural born flosser,” it takes practice.  So there is nothing to be embarrassed about, and your beautiful smile will last a lifetime!

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Dr. Guy Mangia: Comprehensive Dental Examination is a service we provide for all new patients and for our adult patients of record every 2 years. Similar to a complete medical examination with your physician, this examination  process is considered the current Standard of Care with the American Dental Association.  During this examination we are able to document and compare the findings that are significant to your oral health.  Being able to compare these findings at a two year interval allows us to detect changes in your dental health that may be subtle to the human eye, resulting in early detection and correction of oral problems.  Of course, we will continue to provide updated examinations at the time of your  periodontal maintenance visit in between your comprehensive dental evaluations.

The Comprehensive Examination and Evaluation consists of six areas of your oral health:

• Head and neck oral cancer examination
• Temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) evaluation
• Evaluation of your occlusion( how your upper and lower teeth relate to each other in function)
• Periodontal examination and evaluation of the supporting bone and tissue around the teeth
• Evaluation of current dental restorations, detection of new decay and fractured teeth
• Esthetic evaluation of your smile

We use several diagnostic aids in the comprehensive examination to assist us in our findings and treatment decisions.

• Full  mouth radiographs (as needed)
• A series of digital photographs of your smile and teeth
• Study model casts of your teeth (as needed)
• A current medical history and blood pressure reading
• ViziLite Plus oral cancer screening system

We will take time to listen to your concerns, considerations and desires when it comes to the correction of your oral health problems.  Treatment plan options will be developed and discussed as a result of our clinical findings, our professional judgment and your wants and needs.

At the end of your examination, our treatment coordinator will provide you with your examination results, including a copy of your treatment plan, your periodontal charting, your dental photographs and any support brochures we feel would help you better understand our discussion.  We invite you to visit our web site for further information concerning the dental procedures as well as information about our practice.

www.guymangiadds.com

We feel open communication is vital to the patient/professional relationship.  If you ever have had any questions or concerns about your examination visit, the treatment discussed, the fees presented your estimated insurance benefits or our practice procedures, please call and ask for assistance.  Our mission is to assist you in obtaining optimum oral health.  We know that this mission is dependent on a team of people (including you the patient) working toward a common goal.  We look forward to continuing to assist you in  your mission toward optimum oral health.

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Dr. Shwedel: No longer are fluoride treatments just for children.  New research shows that everyone, regardless of age, can benefit from them.  Fluoride not only helps protect newly erupting teeth from decay, but mature teeth that present their own set of needs.  Such as exposed roots from gum recession or the margins where crowns & teeth meet or even the effects of dry mouth as a result of medication & decreased saliva. Most insurance companies feel only children need fluoride or at least only pay for children’s fluoride.  And that lack of coverage makes many people think adults don’t need or wouldn’t benefit from a fluoride treatment.  However, that is not the case.  At your next cleaning, ask your dental provider if fluoride would be right for you.

At Shwedel Dental, we are now strongly encouraging all our patients to have a fluoride treatment after having their teeth cleaned.  Should you have any questions about fluoride or any other dental related topic, including the latest ways to give a beautiful smile, please contact us at 313-292-5590.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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MSNBC.com

When Rachel Sarah took her daughter in for her first dental checkup a few years ago, she got a surprise. Not only did her 24-month-old have two cavities in her baby teeth, the pediatric dentist suggested she might have “caught” them from her mom.“The dentist handed me this piece of paper that talked about saliva transfer,” said Sarah, a 37-year-old writer from San Francisco. “It said not to share cups or utensils or food and said, ‘No kissing your kid on the lips.’ I was shocked; I’d been taking a bite of food and then giving her a bite since she started eating. I told the dentist I’d never heard of this and he said these were new findings.”

As it turns out, studies about the transmission of cavity-causing bacteria from mom to baby have been published for 30 years. The primary culprit is Streptococcus mutans, a bacteria that can pass from person to person through the transfer of saliva, such as sharing utensils, blowing on food, and yes, even kissing that sweet little bundle of joy on the mouth.

According to a 2008 study in Pediatric Dentistry, “strong evidence demonstrated that mothers are a primary source of MS [mutans streptococci] colonization of their children; a few investigations showed other potential sources … notably fathers.”

“There have been many, many studies,” said Dr. Jane Soxman, a pediatric dentist from Allison Park, Pa. “It’s well-documented. You can’t blame it all on kissing a child on the lips — that’s one of several different factors that would have to be working together. But the main thing to know is that tooth decay is a bacterial infection and you can spread it from one person to another during the window of infectivity, which is during infancy and especially during the time of tooth eruption. That’s when the teeth are most vulnerable. It’s as if you had a bad cold and were kissing your child, you would spread the cold virus.”

Only parents (or caregivers) with active tooth decay can spread the Streptococcus mutans bacteria through the transfer of saliva. And Soxman stressed that the transmission of bacteria-laden saliva is just one piece of the puzzle. Tooth decay is caused by a combination of factors, including the transfer of infectious saliva, genetics, oral hygiene, and feeding practices, such as letting your baby constantly suck on a sippy cup full of juice or milk or other sugar-laden liquid. (Bacteria uses the sugar to produce acid, which breaks down enamel.) Baby teeth are particularly vulnerable to decay.

“When teeth first come into the mouth, when they first erupt, the enamel is very soft,” said Soxman. “They’re brand new virgin surfaces and are very susceptible.”

But the decay won’t just impact baby teeth. If the bacteria are allowed to thrive, Soxman said, they will colonize and stick around for years, attacking the permanent teeth when they come in.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that parents have their child evaluated by a dentist when the first tooth erupts, or no later than their first birthday.

Chew Xylitol gum
Luckily, there are preventative measures that can help kick the bacteria to the curb. A January 2010 study in the Journal of Dental Research found that the children of moms who chewed Xylitol gum (starting in the sixth month of pregnancy) “were significantly less likely to show MS colonization.”

“If a woman is decay-active, she should be chewing Xylitol in the third trimester so when the baby’s born, the chance of transmission of decay-causing bacteria will be reduced,” said Soxman. “She should also have her teeth cleaned thoroughly during the second and third trimester.”

Cutting back on saliva-transferring behaviors — such as utensil-sharing, toothbrush sharing, blowing on baby’s food, pre-chewing baby’s food and cleaning off the pacifier with your own mouth — will also help.

But some say that’s easier said than done.

“It’s one thing to tell parents who have active decay to be extra cautious, and it’s something to be aware of for the rest of us, but I don’t think I’d be able to completely eliminate those behaviors,” said Marcy Hogan, a 29-year-old stay-at-home mom from San Jose, Calif. “They’re very natural behaviors and actions. I don’t want to avoid kissing my son and I don’t know how I’d get around blowing on his food. Sometimes it’s too hot and kids are not very patient.”

Dr. Stephanie Su, a pediatric dentist and mother of two from Redmond, Wash., said she tries to stress preventative measures as much as possible since saliva transfer between parent and child is almost “unavoidable.”

“When you look at a lab test, yes, there’s transfer of bacteria, but in real life, you’re not going to be able prevent that. You can’t live in a bubble,” she said. “But you can maintain good hygiene practices and a good diet, and the parents can take care of their own oral health and focus on preventative care like flossing and dental checkups and chewing Xylitol gum if they’re at high risk for decay.”

Both dentists also point to a surefire workaround.

“You could do just about everything as long as you wipe that baby’s mouth out repeatedly with a clean wet cloth,” said Soxman. “I tell parents to wipe the baby’s mouth out as often as they change the diaper. Wipe the tongue, the teeth, and the cheeks from infancy on. Then the colonies of bacteria won’t be established.”

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35989527/ns/health-oral_health/

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PatientFYI: As with any other part of your child’s body, your child’s mouth needs to be cleaned regularly to keep it healthy, working properly and looking good. Research is now showing that the health of your mouth affects the health of the rest of your body, too. If your child’s mouth is clean and healthy, the rest of his or her body will be better off too.

Oral hygiene needs to start early. This means taking action even before your child gets his or her first tooth. Wipe your child’s tongue, gums and cheeks at least once a day, before bed or nap time, with a clean, damp washcloth wrapped around your finger. You can also use a terrycloth finger cot. This fits over a finger and is made for this purpose. Most drugstores carry them.

It’s best if you can look into your child’s mouth while you clean it. Lay your baby in a bassinette and stand behind his or her head as you use the wipe. As your child grows, sit down and have your child stand or kneel between your legs, facing away from you. Then, your child can tip his or her head back into your lap.

While you are looking in your child’s mouth, keep an eye out for anything that doesn’t appear normal. This could be white or red spots in the mouth, bulges that you can’t identify, or other changes. Ask your child’s dentist about anything you see.

As soon as the first teeth appear, it is especially important to clean along the gums around the teeth. This is where plaque is most likely to cause cavities and inflamed gums. Plaque is a sticky white or yellowish substance that contains bacteria. Wiping is a good way to clean your child’s mouth until the first few teeth begin to show. Then it is best to switch to a soft-bristled, infant-sized toothbrush. Use a very small smear of toothpaste.

Your child’s teeth don’t touch each other when they first come out. There is space between them. But as your child grows, the back teeth will move into position against one another. This can occur as early as age 3 or as late as age 6. When these back teeth start touching each other, it’s time to start flossing your child’s teeth. Flossing is essential because toothbrush bristles cannot reach between the baby teeth. This makes the areas between teeth at high risk for cavities.

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PatientFYI: I want to discuss, briefly, the relationship between gum disease and both heart disease & diabetes.

Medical research has shown there is unquestionably shown that there is a positive link between gum disease and cancer, heart disease and diabetes.One lesser known fact is that if one treats the diabetes the gum disease gets better, and if you treat the gum disease the diabetes gets better!. This is incredibly important!  Diabetes is such a terrible disease, which causes many different problems, including the possibility of vision loss,loss of limb , heart disease, e.d. and death. Anything that can be done to slow the progress of the diabetes is a step that should be taken.

There have been studies done that prove a direct relationship between gum disease and cancer, and also between gum disease and heart disease.

I have written an article  has  appeared on both ezines.com and scribd.com.
To read it, please click here: gum disease and other serious diseases.

If you have any questions, please contact me here:  contact.

This is a very serious matter, and I urge everyone to learn as much as possible, to help prevent these serious medical illnesses.