We know that the patients of Issaquah dentist Dr. Kelly Fisher are concerned with how their choices affect their environment. So it’s no surprise to us that many of you have decided to ditch your bottled water habit. You may not have realized, however, that you’re doing your teeth a favor as well as your planet!
One unexpected benefit of choosing to drink tap water from a re-usable container is that most public water supplies contain teeth-friendly levels of fluoride! For decades, the American Dental Association has touted the benefits of fluoride consumption as a safe and effective resource for the prevention of tooth decay. Unfortunately, most brands of bottled water do not contain the recommended levels of fluoride.
So, to our earth-friendly patients, here is one more reason to pat yourselves on the back, and keep heading back to the tap for your drinking water!
Remember the fluoride trays you wore at your dental cleanings as a kid? Remember the salty rinses after your last adult cleaning appointment. You requested a change and we listened to you!
Now we can toss the trays, the foam and the rinse. The latest and best fluoride product to come to dentistry is varnish. Varnish is great for kids and adults as less fluoride is ingested than traditional trays. The benefits of varnish over other treatments are longer lasting, less messy, improved taste, and highly effective. In addition, you can eat and drink right away. The after care is easy, just avoid brushing and flossing for four hours. Keep your teeth strong and protect your existing crowns and fillings, ask for the varnish at your next visit.
The incidence of oral cancer is on the rise. Around the world, women get tested yearly for cervical cancer, while the more common oral cancer, goes undiagnosed. Studies have shown that oral cancer is highly treatable if diagnosed early. Unfortunately, most oral cancers are diagnosed after they have progressed to a late stage cancer. Part of the reason for late diagnosis has been that benign and pre-cancerous lesions may appear very similar to a dentist. Some precancerous and cancerous lesions do not show up well to the naked eye until the cancer has advanced to a late stage. In addition, many dentists see multiple benign lesions per day, leading to a “wait and watch” mentality. Unfortunately, lesions that may have been being “watched” have spread past Stage I cancer and become only 50% curable.
Fortunately, oral cancer detected early is highly curable. Stage I carcinoma cure rates are over 90%. The key to success is to recognize that everyone is at risk and to diagnose the disease early. At Eastside Comprehensive Dentistry, we know that a thorough exam can save lives. Last year, we began offering all of our patients the VELscope oral cancer exam. In addition to the traditional oral cancer examination, VELscope uses tissue fluorescence to aid in seeing oral cancer at its earliest stages, even before symptoms appear.
Some common symptoms of oral cancer include red or white lesions in the mouth that do not heal, difficulty swallowing, lumps in the head or neck area, hoarseness or numbness in the face or mouth. Don’t wait for symptoms of oral cancer to get a thorough oral examination. Call our office today and schedule your painless VELscope oral cancer examination.
