Curt Schilling Blames Smokeless Tobacco for His Oral Cancer

For years, even as tobacco use began to decline and disappear in most settings, professional baseball seemed one of the few exceptions. Now, the tide is finally turning. Recently, the legendary right-hand pitcher Curt Schilling revealed that he had been treated for oral cancer - and said that his chewing tobacco habit was to blame. "I'll go to my grave believing that was why I got [cancer]," Schilling told the Boston Globe.

Schilling isn't the only former player whose oral cancer is blamed on smokeless tobacco. Tony Gwynn, Hall of Famer and beloved coach, recently passed away from oral cancer at the age of 54. His death led to players pledging to give up the habit. But many still use "dip" or "snuff," thinking perhaps it's not so bad after all.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. With nicotine as its active ingredient, chewing tobacco can be just as addictive as cigarettes. Not only is nicotine addictive, it also increases heart rate and blood pressure, constricts the arteries, and affects the body in other ways. In addition to nicotine, chewing tobacco contains about 30 other chemicals known to cause cancer.

Tobacco use of any kind is a major risk factor for oral cancer. While it isn't as well-known as some other types of cancer, oral cancer can be just as deadly. About 43,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with it each year - and the 5-year survival rate is just 57%. One reason for the relatively low survival rate is that oral cancer isn't usually detected until it has reached a later stage, when it's much harder to treat.

What can you do to reduce your risk for oral cancer? Clearly, you should stop using tobacco products of any kind. Moderating your intake of alcohol, and eating more plant foods and less red meat can also have an impact. And don't forget to have regular dental checkups: cancer's warning signs can often be recognized in an oral examination - and early detection can boost survival rates to 80-90 percent.

How does Schilling feel about chewing tobacco now? "I lost my sense of smell, my taste buds for the most part. I had gum issues, they bled, all this other stuff," he told the Globe. "I wish I could go back and never have dipped. Not once."

If you have questions about oral cancer or cancer prevention, please visit our website at www.parkfamilydental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles "Chewing Tobacco" and "Diet and Prevention of Oral Cancer."

Be Extra Vigilant for Signs of Gum Disease During Pregnancy

Periodontal (gum) disease is a bacterial infection that can eventually lead to tooth loss if not treated. The infection typically arises from plaque, a thin film of bacteria and food particles that build up on tooth surfaces every 8-12 hours and not removed due to poor oral hygiene.

There is always an increased risk of gum disease when a person doesn't practice effective oral hygiene. But there are certain conditions that could also heighten risk: in particular, women who are pregnant (especially during the first trimester) or taking certain types of birth control pills. During pregnancy, female hormones known as estrogens become elevated, causing changes in the gums' blood vessels. These changes make the tissues fed by these vessels more susceptible to the effects of bacteria. This increased susceptibility even has a term - "pregnancy gingivitis."

Gum disease during pregnancy can also affect other areas of a woman's health, as well as the health of her baby. Recent studies have shown a possible link between pre-term low weight babies and mothers with severe gum disease, especially among those with limited dental healthcare. There's a stronger link, however, between gum disease and diabetes; in fact, diabetes should be checked for in pregnant women who are diagnosed with gum disease.

If you're pregnant, it's especially important that you not neglect oral hygiene. Daily brushing and flossing is essential for removing the bacterial plaque that causes gum disease. You should also visit us for regular checkups and cleanings to remove hard to reach plaque and calculus (hardened deposits), as well as to detect any signs of periodontal disease.

You should also be aware of other factors, and take steps to minimize their effect. Smoking can cause greater plaque accumulation as well as adversely affect your immune system, which can inhibit healing in infected tissues. Stress can also affect your immune system, so be sure you're getting enough rest.

Gum disease in any individual has the potential to cause great damage to teeth and gums. If you notice any abnormalities, particularly bleeding or swelling gums, you should see us as soon as possible for proper diagnosis. In the case of gum disease, the sooner treatment begins the better the chances of protecting both your health and your baby's.

If you would like more information on periodontal disease and pregnancy, please visit our website at www.parkfamilydental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "Pregnancy & Birth Control."

Lasers to Treat Gum Disease are Less Invasive, Cause Less Discomfort

Without effective treatment, periodontal (gum) disease can eventually lead to tooth loss. That's why it's imperative to remove bacterial plaque and calculus - the main cause of the disease - from all teeth and gum surfaces. For moderate to advanced gum disease, this could require a procedure known as flap surgery to gain access to deeper infected areas.

This type of procedure involves making scalpel incisions into the gum tissue to create a flap opening. Through this opening we're able to gain access to the deeper pockets that have formed because of the tissue detachment that occurs following bone loss. The flap opening allows for better access to the root surfaces for removal of plaque and calculus (tartar). Once we've finished, we then suture the flap back into place to reduce the pockets and allow the area to heal.

While effective, flap surgery is considered moderately invasive and may produce mild post-procedural discomfort. Recently, however, a specially designed laser for periodontal therapy shows promise of less invasiveness and patient discomfort than traditional flap surgery.

A laser is an intense and narrow beam of light of a single wavelength. A periodontal laser can pass without effect through healthy cell tissue (like sunlight through a window pane) but interacts and "vaporizes" the darkly pigmented bacteria in diseased tissue. The laser energy is delivered in pulses to minimize any heat-related damage to healthy cells.

The periodontal laser can precisely remove diseased tissue, even where it mingles with healthy tissue. Once it's removed, the root surfaces can be cleaned with ultrasonic scalers and/or hand instruments. And because a medical laser seals the tissue it cuts, it doesn't produce open incisions as with flap surgery that require suturing afterward.

Studies of post-operative recovery after laser surgery showed similar infection reduction and renewed bone and tissue growth as with traditional surgery. Patients, however, reported much less discomfort after the laser procedure. Although more research is needed, it initially appears periodontal laser treatments can effectively treat gum disease with minimal interference with healthy tissue and greater comfort for patients.

If you would like more information on the use of lasers for the treatment of gum disease, please visit our website at www.parkfamilydental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

Determining the Real Cause of Jaw Pain is Key to Effective Treatment

You've suddenly noticed a significant amount of pain radiating from your jaw, so severe you can barely bring your teeth together.

First things first: with this level of pain you should see us as soon as possible. There are a number of possible causes, but only a thorough examination will give us the correct diagnosis and answers we need to develop a plan to treat the cause and alleviate the pain.

With that said, here are a few possible causes for that severe jaw pain.

Injured or diseased teeth. Although the pain you feel seems to come from the jaw in general, the true source may be an individual tooth that's been traumatized or infected. Because of the interconnectivity of nerves throughout the oral structure, the pain could be radiating from the teeth to the jaws. By effectively treating the affected tooth, we may in turn reduce the jaw pain.

Trauma around the joint. If you've taken a physical blow to the area around the jaw joint, the resulting swelling in the joint space is keeping the head of the jaw joint (the "condyle") from seating in the space properly. You may also notice the upper and lower teeth in the back of your jaw won't touch. As the swelling from the injury subsides (aided by anti-inflammatory drugs that also reduce pain), the joint should eventually return to its normal position.

Jaw fracture. The most common jaw fracture occurs in the area just below the condyle. The pain is usually much more severe than you might experience with indirect trauma. Fractures are normally treated by repositioning the broken bone and immobilizing the area to allow healing.

Joint dislocation. The injury you've sustained may have actually moved the condyle out of the joint space. If this is the case careful manipulation may be needed to reseat the condyle back into place, along with anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling.

TMJ or TMD. Muscle spasms can cause significant pain with similar symptoms, including limiting jaw movement. Only an examination with x-rays (to determine if it's a soft tissue or bone-related injury) can narrow down the possibilities to the true cause. The sooner we make that determination and begin treatment the better you'll feel - and the less likely the injury will result in irreversible damage.

If you would like more information on the causes of jaw pain, please visit our website at www.parkfamilydental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "Jaw Pain - What's the Cause."