How can we help you?
The team at North East Family Dentistry want to provide you and your family with as much information you need to help you in making decisions about your oral health. Below are common questions we receive in our office, but please contact us today if you have more questions. We're happy to help!
Preventative
Anyone can get cancer, but there are some factors that increase your risk for oral cancer. These include using tobacco products, heavy alcohol consumption and exposure to the human papilloma virus (HPV). Tobacco associated risk includes chewing tobacco as well as smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes. When you quit using tobacco products, your risk of developing cancer decreases for 10 years and then your risk is the same as if you never used. Your risk is also higher if you use tobacco products and drink alcohol.
Another factor that increase your risk for oral cancer on your lip includes sun exposure. As with many cancers, your risk for oral cancer increases as you age and most people who develop oral cancer are over 40.
Oral cancer screening is part of your regular dental examination at North East Family Dentistry.
Of course! Please feel free to call during our office hours, Monday through Thursday, to set up an appointment. Our average waiting time for a new appointment is usually less than one week and we can often fit you in same day for emergencies.
The whitening solutions purchased over the counter at the drug stores are not as effective. They are a diluted, weaker version than used in the dental office. The difference is that there is no professional monitoring or maintenance with a product sold over the counter, thus the concentrations cannot by law be as strong for fear of harm to a consumer. The solutions used by the dentist are of stronger percentages and concentrations, and are routinely monitored by the dentist and office. While these in-office solutions are not harmful to the teeth or gum tissue, if monitored and used properly, they render a far more profound and longer lasting result.
Tooth decay is the destruction of your tooth enamel, the hard, outer layer of your teeth. It can be a problem for children, teens and adults. Plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, constantly forms on your teeth. When you eat or drink foods containing sugars, the bacteria in plaque produce acids that attack tooth enamel. The stickiness of the plaque keeps these acids in contact with your teeth and over time the enamel can break down. This is when cavities can form.
We provide comprehensive dental care for adults and children including the following: cleanings, fillings, crowns, bridges, partial and complete dentures, implants, root canals, extractions, space maintenance, and minor orthodontics (braces).
We also provide a wide range of cosmetic dentistry including: porcelain and composite veneers, porcelain crowns and bridges, and tooth whitening.
Children's Dental Care
Begin cleaning your baby’s mouth during the first few days after birth by wiping the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth. As soon as teeth appear, decay can occur. You can prevent decay by reducing the bacteria in your babies mouth and by avoiding sugary liquids in the bottle.
To help reduce the bacteria in your babies mouth, try not to share your saliva with your baby through licking the feeding spoons or pacifiers. After each feeding. wipe your child's gums with a clean damp washcloth. Place only formula, milk or breast milk in bottles. Avoid filling the bottle with sugar water, juice or soft drinks. Infants should finish their bedtime and nap time bottles before going to bed. Don't dip your babies pacifier in sugar or honey.
Your child's baby teeth hold a space for their permanent teeth which will grow in later. If the baby teeth are lost or damaged early this could result in the loss of space which could cause tooth crowding and/or displacement of the permanent ones.
Periodontal Therapy
There are a number of reasons you might have bad breath. The most common are listed here:
Bacteria- Bad breath can be caused by the hundreds of types of bad breath-causing bacteria that naturally lives in your mouth. When you eat, bacteria feed on the food left in your mouth and leaves a foul-smelling waste product behind.
Dry Mouth- Saliva is important because it works around the clock to wash out your mouth. If you don’t have enough, your mouth isn’t being cleaned as much as it should be. Dry mouth can be caused by certain medications, salivary gland problems or by simply breathing through your mouth.
Gum Disease-Bad breath can be a warning sign of gum disease.
Food-The list of breath-offending foods is long, and what you eat affects the air you exhale.
Smoking and Tobacco-Smoking stains your teeth, gives you bad breath and puts you at risk for a host of health problems. Tobacco users are also more likely to suffer from gum disease.
Medical Conditions-Mouth infections can cause bad breath. However, if your dentist has ruled out other causes and you brush and floss every day, your bad breath could be the result of another problem, such as a sinus condition, gastric reflux, diabetes, liver or kidney disease. In this case, see your healthcare provider.