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June/July 2008
The Latest Technology in Oral
Cancer Screening: VizLite®Plus
One person dies every hour from oral cancer in the
United States. Late detection of oral cancer is the
primary cause that both the incidence and mortality
rates of oral cancer continue to increase. As with
most cancers, age is the primary risk factor for
oral cancer.
Although we do a visual oral cancer screen on every
patient, initially at the new patient exam and then
at subsequent recall exams, use of the VizLite® Plus
improves the dental professional’s ability to
identify and evaluate suspicious areas at their
earliest stages. Early detection of pre-cancerous
tissue can minimize or eliminate the potentially
disfiguring effects of oral cancer and possibly save
your life. VizLite®Plus is an easy and painless
examination that gives this practice the best chance
to find any oral abnormalities you may have at the
earliest possible stage.
Oral Cancer Risk Profile:
Increased risk: Patients age 18-39
Sexually active patients (HPV 16/18)
High Risk: Patients age 40 and older; tobacco users
younger than age 40
Highest Risk: Patients age 40 or older and lifestyle
risk factors (tobacco use); patients with history of
oral cancer.
Dental insurance may not cover this advanced oral
cancer screening. This practice prescribes the
VizLite®Plus exam for all patients at increased
risk, high risk and highest risk of oral cancer
(adult patients age 18 and older and tobacco users
of any age). We will offer the VizLite®Plus exam
annually following the standard oral cancer
examination of the oral cavity. Please ask your
hygienist for more details at your next exam.
December 2007 –
Teeth Whitening
What about whitening? Read below to find out what it
is all about!
‘Tis the season – ask our
hygienists about our Holiday special
Why are my teeth stained?
When you put stuff in your mouth -- food, cigarette
smoke, coffee, etc - a layer gradually forms on top
of the enamel layer. Basically, this foreign
material accumulates to form a pellicle film over
the enamel layer. A dentist or hygienist cleans away
the majority of this film during your routine
hygiene appointment.
Unfortunately, as we age, and as we regular drink
dark sodas, red wine, coffee or tea etc., the
pellicle layer sits on your teeth, and the staining
foreign material gets into the enamel. Because the
enamel layer is porous, staining agents can work
their way down into the tooth, making it almost
impossible to simply scour them away. The deeper
stains are basically harmless, but many people find
them unattractive.
How do we combat the stain?
Over the years, many dental companies have developed
various whitening products to help assist you in
removing this unattractive staining. They have found
a way for bleaching chemicals to get down into the
tooth enamel and set off a chemical reaction
(specifically, an oxidation reaction) that breaks
apart the staining compounds. Most tooth whiteners
use one of two chemical agents: carbamide peroxide
or hydrogen peroxide, to combat the stain on the
teeth.
Types of Whitening Products:
Over the counter whitening – These products
are accessible at most drug or grocery stores e.g.
Crest White Strips or Agua Fresh Whitening. The OTC
whitening systems have a smaller concentration of
the whitening product, and thus may not work on all
types of stains. However they are usually more cost
effective than other whitening systems.
At-home whitening systems – The at-home
systems will often use 10 to 20 percent carbamide
peroxide gels. To begin the at-home procedure, the
dentist or hygienist will take impressions (molds)
of your mouth, and then fabricate soft, custom mouth
trays. To administer the treatment, place a pea size
amount of gel into each tooth on the custom tray,
and then place the tray in your mouth. You should
wear this tray for at least 30 minutes or ˝ hour.
Most whitening occurs in one to two weeks. In
difficult cases, trays may need to be worn for up to
six weeks.
One-hour whitening – This system involves the
use of higher concentration of peroxide gel that is
placed on your teeth directly. Afterwards, you then
sit under a light for approximately 1 hour. Ideally,
when treatment is done, you will have teeth that are
2-3 shades lighter. There is risk of increased
sensitivity with this system, as well as there is no
guarantee on the results. This is also the most
expensive whitening system.
Dentist supervised systems have advantages and
disadvantages when compared to over-the-counter
tooth whitening products. The main advantage of the
dentist supervised system is that the dentist can
help determine if tooth whitening should be
performed and if it will be effective for the
patient. Patients with decayed teeth, infected gums,
white spots on their teeth, and multiple tooth
colored fillings or crowns (caps) on the front teeth
may not be good candidates for tooth whitening.
Please ask your dentist or your hygienist at your
next hygiene appointment on their opinion and your
options for a whiter, brighter smile.
OCTOBER 2007 – New Technology
in Office
 Dr. Crego’s office and
staff are excited about the addition of their latest
technology, Panmeca’s Digital Panoramic X-ray
machine. The recent purchase of this equipment
allows us to be more efficient with our recall
exams, and helps minimize the radiation exposure to
our patients. Furthermore it will allow us to
determine if any of the following conditions are
present in your mouth:
v
Neoplasms –(
growths, cancerous or non-cancerous)
v
Impacted teeth –
including wisdom teeth
v
Cysts or abscesses
v
Abnormal bone
destruction
v
Jaw/joint
relationship and any potential problems
v
Congenitally
missing teeth or the presence of extra teeth
v
Fractures
v
Abnormal eruption
patterns in growing children
v
Abnormal resorption
of bone and teeth
v
Periodontal disease
v
Relationship of the
teeth with the sinus
v
Nerve, tooth
relationships
v
An aid in detecting
the presence of calcifications with the carotid
artery
If you have any questions, please
feel free to ask
your hygienist, Dr. Crego or Dr. Russell.
JANUARY 2007 – Pediatric
Dentistry
One of the most common questions that we hear at the
practice is, “When should my child first see the
dentist?”
Two major pediatric groups, the American Academy of
Pediatrics (pediatricians) and the American Academy
of Pediatric Dentists (pedodontists) both recommend
that every child should have a “dental home” by the
age of one year. The dental exam for a one year old
child involves a visual exam by a dentist while the
child is being held in the parent’s lap. The purpose
of this initial visit is to establish a relationship
with the parents and the child, as well as a way to
identify any possible future dental problems.
Another important part of this visit is to educate
the parents about oral hygiene, proper diet and
other possible causes for dental problems.
After the initial exam, if no initial problems are
identified the child should be seen on an annual
basis until the age of 3, where after the child
should begin 6 month visits. This initial “dental
home” is a resource for parents, and a way to
prevent as many dental
problems as possible for young children.
For further
information please visit the following web-sites:
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (www.aapd.org)
The American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org)
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