Category: Blog

Just shy of 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with some form of oral cancer every year. About 9,750 people will die from this type of cancer each year. This is about 1 death per hour, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. About 57% of oral cancer victims are alive 5 years later. Oral cancers account for 85% of all head and neck cancers reported. This number has only improved about 7% over the past decade, which is not a significant improvement compared to the exploding survival rates of other forms of cancer.

Oftentimes, professionals attribute this to the late detection of oral cancers. Oral cancers are generally not discovered early on as they only present a few if any early symptoms of there being a problem. Sometimes there may be oral lesions or infections, but people don’t understand they are related to oral cancer so they never seek treatment till the tumor metastasizes

Oral cancer is a much greater problem than the almost 50,000 cases diagnosed in the US each year. Worldwide, about 450,000 cases are diagnosed each year. These are the best available statistics from WHO which, despite its best to be professional in reporting may not always have perfectly accurate numbers based on the fact that some countries don’t fully report their statistics the way that they should be reported.

Many suggest the US develops an opportunistic screening process detecting oral cancers to see if that helps catch tumors earlier. The high death rate for oral cancers attributes to the fact that most oral cancers are not caught till they metastasize and break off into another part of the body. Generally, this is in the lymph nodes of the throat. By then the cancer has invaded deep into the structures of the mouth and throat and there is little to do to help the patient. Besides, anyone who gets oral cancer has a 20x higher chance of a reoccurrence of getting it again for 5 to 10 years after the initial diagnosis. It is estimated that $3.2 billion is spent every year alone in the US fighting oral cancers, and treating people who get it.

If you have questions regarding this article contact us or call 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”

Gingivitis is the mildest form of gum disease in the periodontal disease family. Gingivitis causes the gums to become mildly red, swollen, and bleed easily. No pain or discomfort is usually involved at this stage of gum disease. It’s reversible with good oral care (brushing/flossing DAILY) and regular oral treatment such as semiannual dental cleanings by seeing the dentist frequently. Some factors may make certain populations more prone to gingivitis infections than others including those with inadequate nutrition, diabetes, hormonal fluctuations, pregnant women, substance abusers, or people with HIV infections.

Periodontitis gets more serious when gingivitis turns into periodontitis. This is where the plaque begins to harden on the gums, and seep into the gum line. The plaque can get into the bone structure of the teeth, and chew through the bone structure of the jawline if left untreated long enough. At the most advanced stage this can ultimately lead to lose teeth that have to be removed as the jaw’s bone structure can no longer hold the teeth in properly. In the end, it leads to there being no option but to remove teeth when left untreated long enough.

There are many forms of periodontitis, including the following:

Aggressive Periodontitis which occurs in patients that are otherwise clinically healthy and free from disease. Commonly this kind of periodontitis features rapid attachment loss of the tooth from the bone structure in the gum line and familial aggregation.

Chronic Periodontitis is what occurs when the inflammation of the tissues supporting the tooth structure begins. This also eventually results in progressive attachment and bone loss as well. This is characterized by pockets of infections forming and the gingiva being chewed through. It is mostly prevalent in adults but can occur at any age with poor oral dental care.

Periodontitis As A Manifestation Of Systemic Disease can often begin in children at quite young ages. Conditions like heart diseases or diabetes are associated with this form of periodontitis.

Necrotizing Periodontal Disease occurs when an infection is characterized by necrosis of gingival tissues and periodontal ligaments and alveolar bone. These lesions are most common in individuals with things like HIV Infections, malnutrition, or immunosuppression conditions.

If you have any questions regarding this article please contact us or call us 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”

Everyone is always seeing those advertisements “Whitens Your Teeth In 5 Minutes A Day” or a “Whiter Teeth In 3 Treatments”. There are the money-back guarantees with it, too. Then there are the dental treatments that are rarely covered by insurances, and are quite expensive. Too expensive for many customers too afford. However, the good news is that it’s not always a requirement to have medical intervention to help whiten your teeth. Some of the simplest ways to whitening can be changes made in your diet.

The following are 6 ways that that whitening can be done include the following:

Brush Your Teeth After Eating/Drinking & Kick Smoking: This is the best natural whitening remedy available, however, it’s also vital to understand that this is quite a commitment to undertake. Packing a toothbrush in your work bag or backpack for school can help you brush after lunch each day in the public restroom. However, when you are out or about on the weekend, or on vacation you might find yourself in places that don’t let you brush often as you wish. If you can’t brush your teeth after drinking damaging drinks like sodas, juices, or coffee try swishing plain water in your mouth to get the dyes/colors/flavorings out to keep teeth white as possible. Also, avoid smoking cigarettes as they have many damaging chemicals in them that will darken, not whiten your teeth.

Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda have many uses in dentistry today, but one use is that they can be mixed into a paste to be rubbed on the teeth to help provide a whitening agent to the teeth naturally. It’s a cheap, at-home remedy that costs just a few dollars to buy the ingredients put into the mix. The mix should be 50-50 baking soda and hydrogen peroxide solution. This solution provides a greater plaque reduction that mixes without baking soda included in them. However, be careful that you mix enough hydrogen peroxide in with the baking soda or the baking soda will make a more sand-paper like substance that can very well rub the enamel right off your teeth as you can’t get the grittiness off of your teeth after you use the substance. The problem with this would be that the enamel doesn’t grow back, and the damage would be permanent. The substance should be completely smooth without any grit to it! Then you have made the past right! Apply for 30 seconds and rinse to complete the treatment.

Coconut Oil As A Tooth Whitener: This may induce chuckles upon the initial reading, but many people use coconut oil pulling as a treatment and claim it helps whiten their teeth dramatically. Any ways it’s used seems to work well. Adding a few drops of coconut oil to the toothpaste before brushing one’s teeth or wiping it on with a washcloth after brushing work well. Swishing a spoonsful of coconut oil around in your mouth 5 to 20 minutes after brushing also works. Swallowing it would include some calories, but it’s harmless. The Journal Of Contemporary Dental Hygiene found that their studies showed that this is also a safe, harmless practice as well to help maintain oral hygiene.

Try Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar really makes sense as a teeth whitener if it is thought hard enough about. Cider Vinegar can help remove stains from teeth, but it can also help keep the gums health while helping rid the rest of the mouth of “bad”, disease-causing bacteria. Cider Vinegar does this by combining ingredients like acetic acid, potassium, magnesium, probiotics, and enzymes together to kill germs and help benefit the “good” bacteria in the mouth. It is also acidic so it will help get the substances off of the teeth that may damage them. The high pH level allows the cider to remove stains. To see optimal results in whitening use the cider vinegar every single day for at least a month. Before bed is probably the best time. Do it before brushing or rinse with water when you are done as the cider vinegar being left on your teeth can chew away the enamel due to its acidity, and enamel doesn’t grow back.

Using Lemon & Orange Peels: Similar to the effects of the apple cider vinegar some people say that citrus fruits have a similar effect. Citrus fruits are very healthy so it makes sense that they might work to help whiten teeth, they can also help balance the bacteria in the gut to aid digestion. If you rub these peels on your teeth, however, be sure to rinse with water or hydrogen peroxide as citrus fruits can be very acidic, and you don’t want to allow the acids to chew through the enamel on your teeth.

Strawberries & Other Healthy Foods: Many people, including Tyra banks show a strawberry mash working to whiten their teeth. Berries are known as a high source of anti-oxidants, and many the compounds in them benefit the teeth well. Simply mash up three or four strawberries and rub the contents on your teeth. This is a great remedy for those who are not willing to put chemicals like hydrogen peroxide in their mouths. Always rinse well with water after using such a mixture on your teeth to avoid it eating through the tooth’s enamel if sugars are left on the teeth too long.

If you have any questions regarding this article contact us or call 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”