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Turning the tide of tooth decay with proper pediatric dental care

| Teaching healthy habits to children now prevents oral health problems later | MANY OF US EXPECT cavities if we neglect brushing our teeth. But we may not recognize how oral health affects our overall health. “The mouth can be a very dirty place. In a healthy individual, our immune system is able to kind…
Pop Quiz: Test your knowledge of oral cancer

| Understand the risks and symptoms to help prevent the disease and increase early detection| WHEN YOU HEAR about the dangers of cancer, it’s rarely oral cancer that’s being discussed. Though the death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, skin cancer, and many others, the disease is barely a blip…
The dangers of gum disease

| Preventing periodontal problems is essential for overall health and well-being | MILLIONS OF AMERICANS have a silent disease working in their mouths and they don’t even know it. It’s periodontal disease — also called gum disease — and it could be doing damage to your health even as you read this. According to the…

The “Ripe” Time for Cataract Surgery

Whenever I tell a patient that he or she has cataracts they immediately ask if they need to have surgery. We start thinking about cataract surgery whenever the patient’s quality of life is affected. Common complaints include, “I can’t read road signs,” or “I can’t read the writing on TV,” or “I can’t read small…
A Cautionary Tale for Frequent Biting, Grinding, or Clenching

Biting and chewing your food. It’s something we do every day and without thinking. That’s why when most people have biting issues— where they bite the inside tissue of their mouth— they usually don’t think beyond the few minutes of pain and discomfort it causes. However, frequent biting (as well as grinding and clenching) can…
Oral Cancer Awareness Month

The month of April is considered National Oral Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers in the United States for 2019 show that about 53,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer and an estimated 10,860 will die of these cancers. Lip and…