Archive for the ‘ Health Awareness ’ Category
Oral Cancer Awareness Month
Dr Jim here! April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and a great time to discuss some important statistics regarding oral cancer. Approximately 43,250 people will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2014. This is the fifth year in a row there has been an increase in the rate of occurrence of oral cancers. There […]
Going “Beast Mode” on your teeth!
Dr. Garrett here. Yesterday was an amazing day for football fans in the Pacific Northwest, as our Seattle Seahawks won their first ever Super Bowl! They crushed their opponent, the Denver Broncos, and carried the spirit of the 12th man all the way to the East Coast. One of my favorite players on the team […]
Tooth Avulsion (knocked out tooth due to trauma): Attention: Coaches, Parents and Kids!
Dr. Jim here! As a follow up to Dr. Garrett’s post on athletic mouth guards, I wanted to talk about tooth avulsion also known as the complete loss of a permanent tooth out of its aveolar socket, usually by trauma. This is something we typically see during the summer when kids are more active, and […]
Mouthguards
Dr. Garrett checking in! As football season get’s under way, I am reminded instantly of the frequent mouth injuries we see in the office this time of year. Mouth injuries that could have easily been prevented if a mouthguard was worn. From youth beginners to weekend warriors, it is very important that you protect your […]
Dental Caries
Dr. Matt here. What is Dental Caries? Dental caries is tooth decay. Specific bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, lactobacilli and more) on the tooth surface feed on carbohydrates and make acids as waste products. Acids travel into the tooth and dissolve out minerals. If mineral loss is not halted or reversed a cavity is formed. […]
Gum Disease and its Relation to Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr Jim here! A recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease revealed that a bacterium linked to gum disease was present in the brains of many Alzheimer’s patients. The study, was performed at the University of Central Lancashire in England. It showed that the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis was present in 4 out of […]
Your child’s first dental visit
Dr. Garrett checking in! We are asked very often by new parents about the appropriate time to bring in their children for their first dental visit. According to the American Association for Pediatric Dentistry, the correct time is when their very first tooth shows through! That seems extremely early to most, as that sometimes means […]
Local News
Dr. Matt here. Doc’ do I need a shot? Yes, you will need some local anesthetic to be comfortable during the planned procedure. These words bring people a lot of anxiety. It may be a specific fear or a generalized thing. Either way it can be a treatment hurdle for some people. Some patients develop […]
Managing your medications safely
Dr. Garrett here! If you have ever been prescribed, or are going to receive in the future, an opioid pain killer (or narcotic), there are some important things to consider. While these medications can be very effective in treating your pain, they also pose a risk to you, your loved ones, and others if not […]
Saliva is a beautiful thing.
Dr. Matt here. Saliva is the watery secretion in our mouths that comes from the glands. The primary glands are located under the tongue (submandibular) and in the cheeks (parotid). There are also many minor secretory glands. Saliva’s functions are tasting, chewing and swallowing of foods, moistens the mouth and starts the digestion of starches […]