Royalty: The Dental Connection!

According the the British tabloid The Daily Mail, Prince William had to pay a late-night visit to a discreet dentist and have a chipped front tooth repaired after part of it was fractured while attending a friend's wedding.  While these types of dental problems are quite common, thankfully, many do not result in significant pain or discomfort.  And the first thing to always remember is to stay calm!

If the broken part is relatively small, chances are that the tooth can be repaired by using a tooth colored composite resin called bonding.  In this procedure, the bonded material is used to replace the damaged, chipped or discolored region.  Composite resin is a very strong mixture of plastic and glass components that not only looks quite natural, but bonds tightly to the natural tooth structure. This procedure can be completed in one visit and while no dental repair will last forever, a bonded tooth can hold up well for years with only routine dental care.

The other common method of repair to restore a larger, painless fracture, is with a crown, commonly known as a "cap."  After a preparation, a 3-D model of the damaged tooth and its neighbors is made.  From this model, the dental lab will fabricate a replica of the tooth and return the crown back to the office for adherence.  Crowns are not only much stronger than bonded material, they are life-like and can last for many years.

Whether the future king was "crowned" or simply received some bonding for his required dental repair, one may never know, but it's great to know that you don't have to be royalty to receive quality dental care!

If you have any questions or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,
DRT

Cancer Screenings: The Dental Connection!

In our continuing efforts to provide the highest quality of dental health care available to our patients, we regularly screen our patients for oral cancer.  The fact is, every hour of every day in North America, someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth most commonly diagnosed form of the disease.  Although the five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved, early detection is the key!

Oral cancer can occur on the lips, gums, tongue, inside lining of the cheeks, roof of the mouth, and the floor of the mouth.  Symptoms of oral cancer may include a sore in the throat or mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal, a red or white patch that persists, a lump or thickening, ear pain, a neck mass, or coughing up blood.  Difficulties in swallowing, chewing, or moving the tongue or jaws are often late symptoms.

While there is no way to predict exactly which individuals will get oral cancer, there are potential causes like age, tobacco uses, excessive alcohol, persistent viral infections like HPV16 and a diet that is lacking or low in fruits and vegetables.

If you have any questions or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT