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."

Frequently Asked Questions About Porcelain Veneers

Q: What exactly are porcelain veneers?
A: The term "veneer" usually means a very thin covering that's designed to improve the way a surface looks. The porcelain veneers we use in cosmetic dentistry are just like that: They cover up flaws in the natural teeth, while preserving their strength and vitality. Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin layers of super-strong material, which are bonded to the front surfaces of the teeth. Once placed on your teeth, they offer a permanent way to improve a smile that's less than perfect.

Q: What kinds of smile defects can porcelain veneers fix?
A: Veneers can help with a whole range of issues, including:

• Color: Teeth that are deeply stained or yellowed –even those which can't be lightened with professional bleaching - can be restored to a brilliant white (or a natural luster) with porcelain veneers.
• Shape and size: If your teeth have become worn down with age, or have chips or roughened edges, veneers can restore them to a more pleasing shape. They can also lengthen teeth that appear too short, for a dramatic enhancement of your smile.
• Alignment and spacing: For closing a small gap between teeth or making other minor adjustments in tooth spacing or position, veneers may be just what you need; more serious issues can be handled with orthodontics.

Q: What's involved in getting porcelain veneers?
A: First, we will talk with you about what aspects of your smile you'd like to improve, and develop a plan to accomplish that. When we're all agreed, the next step will probably be to remove a small amount of tooth material in preparation for placing the veneers. (Some types of veneers, however, don't require this step.) Next, we will make a mold of your teeth and send it to the dental lab; you'll leave our office with a set of temporary veneers. In a few weeks, you'll return to our office to have the final veneers permanently bonded to your teeth.

Q: Is it possible to preview the results?
A: Yes! The options for a preview range from computer-generated images of your new smile to an accurate, life-sized model of your teeth with veneers applied. It may even be possible to make acrylic "trial veneers" that we can actually place on your teeth to try on! So if your smile could use a little help, ask us about porcelain veneers.

If you would like more information on porcelain veneers, please see our website at www.myParkDental.com or call us at (239) 263-1151 to schedule an appointment for a consultation us, or schedule an appointment online.

Implant-Supported Teeth: a New Option for Patients With Total Tooth Loss

At one time people who had lost all their teeth faced a grim future. With no feasible alternative, their tooth loss severely limited their ability to eat or speak. Their appearance suffered too, not only from the missing teeth but from bone loss in their facial structure.

We've come a long way since then - today, it's possible to restore complete tooth loss with a permanent set of implant-supported teeth. Unlike other options like removable dentures, implantation can stop and even reverse bone loss caused by missing teeth. And because it now only takes a few strategically-placed implants to support an entire fixed bridge of teeth, the implant option is more affordable than ever.

In essence, implants are tooth root replacement systems. The titanium post that is surgically placed within the jawbone is osseophilic ("bone-loving"), which means bone will grow and adhere to it in a few weeks to further secure it in place. A dental restoration - a single crown (the visible portion of the tooth) or an entire bridge or arch - is then cemented or screwed to the implant.

While dental implants for single teeth normally require full bone integration before the permanent crown is set, it's often possible for an implant-supported bridge of many teeth to be set at the same time as implantation. The bridge is attached to four or more implants that support the bridge like the legs of a stool; the teeth within the bridge also act to support each other. Both of these factors help to evenly distribute the biting force, which reduces the risk of crown failure before complete bone integration. You would still need to limit yourself to a soft food diet for 6-8 weeks while the bone integration takes place, but the procedure is essentially completed when you leave the dentist's office.

As marvelous as the possibilities are with implant restorations, it still requires a great deal of planning and artistry from a team of dental professionals to realize a successful outcome. But working together, you and your team can achieve what wasn't possible even a few years ago: a complete set of life-like, fully functional implant-supported teeth - and a new smile to boot!

If you would like more information on root canal treatment, please see our website at www.myParkDental.com or call us at (239) 263-1151 to schedule an appointment for a consultation us, or schedule an appointment online. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "New Teeth in One Day."

Root Canal Treatment is a Tooth Saver

According to popular culture, a root canal treatment is one of life's most painful experiences. But popular culture is wrong - this common treatment doesn't cause pain, it relieves it. Knowing the facts will help alleviate any anxiety you may feel if you're scheduled to undergo the procedure.

A root canal treatment addresses a serious problem involving the pulp of a tooth that has become infected. The pulp is a system of blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues inside the tooth that helps the tooth maintain its vitality. It also contains a series of minute passageways known as root canals that interconnect with the body's nervous system.

The pulp may become infected for a number of reasons: tooth decay, gum disease, repetitive dental procedures, or traumatic tooth damage. Once the pulp becomes irreversibly damaged it must be completely removed from the tooth and the root canals filled and sealed in order to save the tooth.

We begin the procedure by numbing the affected tooth and surrounding tissues with local anesthesia and placing a dental dam (a thin sheet of rubber or vinyl) over the area to isolate the tooth and prevent the spread of infection to other oral tissues. We then drill a small hole in the top of the tooth to access the pulp chamber. Using special instruments, we then remove the infected or dead pulp tissue through the access hole and then wash and cleanse the root canals and pulp chamber with antiseptic and antibacterial solutions.

After additional preparation, we fill the root canals and pulp chamber with a filling especially designed for this kind of treatment, usually a rubber-like substance called gutta-percha that easily molds and compresses when heated. We then seal the access hole with a temporary filling (until a permanent crown can be fashioned) to prevent infection from reentering the pulp space. After the procedure, you may experience some minor discomfort easily managed with over-the-counter pain relievers.

You'll find the root canal treatment alleviates the symptoms prompted by the pulp infection, particularly acute pain. What's more, a successful root canal will have achieved something even more crucial to your health - it will give your tooth a second chance at survival.

If you would like more information on root canal treatment, please see our website at www.myParkDental.com or call us at (239) 263-1151 to schedule an appointment for a consultation us, or schedule an appointment online. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "A step-By-Step Guide to Root Canal Treatment."