We love the men, too, but when it comes to dentistry, women have every right to consider themselves our special guests.
As women begin to have hormonal changes during peri-menopause and menopause, they can begin to see changes in their dental health such as decreased saliva, increased caries (decay), taste alterations, gum disease and bone loss.
Because of these changes, it may become necessary for women to make more regular visits to the dental hygienist in order to keep on top of the changing biology. Instead of the old "every six months," which is a treatment plan recommendation for children and people with very little dentistry, menopausal women may find it beneficial to avoid future problems by having visits three to four times a year. Crisis prevention is still much less expensive than crisis management. Avoid pain and emergencies by planning ahead, taking excellent care of your mouth and by treating yourself as a priority during these coming changes.
Supplements such as calcium and vitamin D can help prevent bone loss. In addition, we offer a wide variety of products in our office to assist in maintaining optimal wellness. We offer prescription strength fluoride toothpaste to prevent caries and sensitivity, mouth rinses to aid in the healing of gum disease, which not only causes bad breath, but also causes many other systematic complications and also the latest in toothbrush technology.
We know your smile is so important to you and we are here to answer questions, address your concerns and to provide you with the five star treatment you deserve.
Patrick Swayze was a long time smoker and still had not kicked the habit in January 2009, just nine months before his death. Many people know and understand that smoking increases the risk of gum disease, but what most people do not know is that gum disease increases the risk for pancreatic cancer, as well.
Pancreatic cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. The risk increases with age, obesity and smoking.
Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly cancers. In more than 80% of patients, at the time of diagnosis, the tumor has already spread and cannot be completely removed
Chemotherapy and radiation are often given
after surgery to increase the cure rate. For pancreatic cancer that
cannot be removed completely with surgery, or cancer that has spread
beyond the pancreas, a cure is not possible and the average survival is
usually less than 1 year.
This cancer has a 5-year survival rate of less than
5%, meaning 95% of the people diagnosed with it will not be alive 5
years later.
How can good dental hygiene impact your risk for pancreatic cancer? By treating the mouth, you are taking positive steps toward preventing systemic diseases. Though pancreatic cancer does not exclusively affect smokers, smoking increases the risks of other diseases as well. Regular hygiene appointments, like those we recommend at Johnson Dental, will help prevent the infections that smokers are more susceptible to. In addition, your hygienist should be performing regular oral cancer screenings. If you are not getting screened for oral cancer at each dental visit, request a screening. Visual inspection is still the most efficient and cost effective detection method for oral cancer. Early detection increases survival rates and decreases the invasiveness of treatment necessary.
Did you know that maintaining healthy gums boosts your immune system by removing the biofilm that forms in the mouth? Biofilm is made up of micro organisms that sticks to a surface or to each other. In the mouth, this biofilm causes gum disease which is recognized by the presence of blood or pus. Untreated gum disease wears down the immune system by creating systemic and ongoing infections in the mouth.
Recognizing and treating gum disease through regular dental hygiene visits and check ups can not only minimize or even eliminate infections, but also boost your immune system by removing harmful bacteria.