The Warning Signs of Oral Cancer

When you get screened for oral cancer at our Bellevue dental clinic, we’re looking for unhealthy tissues developing in your lips, on your tongue, inside your cheeks, on the floor of your mouth or on your hard palate. The processes we use are easy and reliable, but there is also a lot you can be doing to look out for cancerous growths between your regular dental check-ups. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms, and call your dentist right away if you think you are in danger:

  • Unusual lumps, swollen areas, rough spots, crusts, or eroded regions on the lips or anywhere inside the mouth.
  • Velvety white or red patches in the mouth, or a speckled white and red patch.
  • Inexplicable bleeding in the mouth.
  • Numbness or loss of feeling in the face, mouth, neck, or ear.
  • Inexplicable pain or tenderness in the face, mouth, neck or ear.
  • Sores in the face, neck or mouth area that bleed easily and persist for at least two weeks.
  • A sore throat, or a feeling that you have something caught in the back of your throat.
  • Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or moving your jaw or tongue.
  • Persistent hoarseness.
  • Slurred speech or other changes in your voice.
  • A change in the alignment of your teeth.
  • Weight loss.
  • A lump in your neck.

The Effects of Smoking on Your Teeth

Our Bellevue dentist is not the first person to tell you about the dangers of smoking. You’re probably familiar enough with many of the bigger bullet-points, like cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. But were you also aware that smoking leaves you more susceptible to tooth decay and gingivitis?

The problem goes far beyond the unsightly stains smoking leaves on your enamel. Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and anything else that causes you to suck smoke into your system is filled with toxins and deadly free radicals that can seriously compromise your oral health. The damage starts as the smoke passes through your mouth, irritating your gum tissues and causing them to recede. Meanwhile, the smoke is getting to your bloodstream and weakening your circulation. This lowers your body’s ability to fight infections and repair damage, while breaking down bone structure in your mouth and jaw.

At the same time, the people around you are suffering from similar problems based on your secondhand smoke alone. For your own oral health, and for the health of your friends and family, stop smoking today!

Bruxism in Children

Bruxism, or tooth grinding, is a condition that will affect up to a third of children in the United States at some point. It commonly occurs when a child’s new teeth come in, as the pain caused by tooth eruptions encourages grinding. Most kids will quickly lose the habit after this comfort passes, but others will continue to grind long after they have their full set of teeth. Since bruxism weakens your teeth and causes them to come in crooked, you will want to take the following measures with your children:

  • Your child may very well be grinding without even realizing it, perhaps while he or she sleeps. Listen for a grinding sound during the night, particularly if your child complains of a sore jaw in the morning.
  • Stress is a big trigger for grinding. Look for ways to manage your child’s stress, particularly right before he or she goes to bed. Have him or her massage the muscles around the jaw, or apply a warm compress.
  • Dehydration is another potential cause for bruxism.
  • Your dentist can be instrumental in managing bruxism. Talk to Overlake Dental in Bellevue to help pinpoint the underlying problem and come up with effective, lasting solutions.

Is There Fecal Matter on Your Toothbrush?

Every toothbrush is going to get a little dirty as time goes by. All the time it spends in your mouth exposes it to bacteria and grime. This is largely not a big deal, so long as you periodically rinse and disinfect your brush. However, if you leave your brush out in the open, you may be exposing yourself to some unnecessary contaminates.

Specifically, an unguarded brush may be gathering human fecal matter. This is according to a study recently presented at the American Society for Microbiology’s annual meeting. The study looked at an assortment of toothbrushes taken from bathrooms that were shared among at least two people, finding that over 60% of them were contaminated with fecal particles. Among the contaminated brushes, fully 80% had particles that came from somebody other than the brush’s owner, making them even less healthy than those originating from the individual’s own system.

These particles get onto your brush when you flush your toilet. Every flush launches a tiny spray of toilet water into the air, which can gradually introduce a fecal residue to any surface it lands upon. You can avoid such contamination by protecting your brush; put it into a closable container where it can still be exposed to the air, allowing it to dry out between brushings.

Taking a Bite out of Jaw Disorders

The health of your teeth is strongly influenced by the health of your jaw bone. Tooth and gum problems, left unchecked, can disastrously affect your jaw, and vice versa. This is why our Bellevue dentistry wants you to be on the lookout for the warning signs of Temporomandibular Disorders also known as TMD. Such warning signs include the following:

  • Pain or a tender feeling in the jaw joint, face, neck, or shoulders, particularly when you are moving your jaw.
  • If you grind your teeth, this may represent either a cause or a symptom of a TMD.
  • Trouble opening your jaw to its limit.
  • Jaws that lock into position.
  • Clicking, popping, or grating in the jaw when you open and close your mouth.
  • Tired facial muscles.
  • Changes in the way your teeth fit together.
  • Swelling on either side of the face.
  • Dizziness.
  • Toothaches.
  • Headaches.
  • Earaches, tinnitus, or other hearing problems.

If you think that you might have a problem with your TMJ, consult your dentist right away.