Oral cancer can occur on the tongue, lips, floor of the mouth, soft palate, tonsils, salivary glands or in the back of the throat. If detected early, the cure rate for oral cancer is better than 75-80% after five years. Signs of oral cancer include: A sore in the mouth that bleeds easily and does [...]
In the case of a tooth that has been knocked out, follow these steps: Calm the injured person and determine the extent of the injury. Locate the tooth that has been knocked out. If the tooth is dirty, rinse it gently in warm running water. Do not scrub it. Gently insert and hold the tooth [...]
When a dentist graduates from dental school, he/she receives a DDS or DMD degree depending on the school. Once licensed to practice by the state, such a person with one of these degrees may practice general dentistry. In this type of practice, the dentist may perform all areas of dentistry. Some dentists choose to pursue [...]
Fluoridation of public water is considered one of the most significant public health success stories of the century. Since its introduction more than 50 years ago, half of children ages 5-17 never have had a cavity in their permanent teeth. That compares with 37% in 1980 and only 28% in the early 1970s. Fluoride is [...]
If your primary source of drinking water is bottled water, you need to be aware that you could be missing the fluoride that is needed to help prevent tooth decay in both adults and children. Current Food and Drug Administration regulations do not require bottle water companies to list fluoride content unless fluoride has been [...]
Very few insurance companies offer individual dental plans. Those that do usually offer plans that restrict you to a few specific dentists. Contact your local insurance agent or broker to see if any plans are available in your area.
Tooth whitening, also known as bleaching, is one of the more popular cosmetic dental treatments. Bleaching leads to a whiter smile, countering the effects of stains (caused by food, beverages and/or tobacco) or discoloration of the teeth (caused naturally by aging). Individuals interested in tooth bleaching are encouraged to whiten their teeth under the supervision [...]
Some general dentists will remove wisdom teeth, but it depends on the condition of the erupting teeth; your wisdom teeth may need to be removed by an oral surgeon. Your dentist will make that determination and will be able to recommend an oral and maxillofacial surgeon if needed.
Dentists are careful to minimize the exposure of patients to radiation. With contemporary safeguards, the amount of radiation received in a dental x-ray examination is extremely small. The risk is negligible. In fact, dental x-rays represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem. How often x-rays are taken depends on your [...]
The ISDS provides a non-legal service called Peer Review, which helps to resolve differences between a patient and a dentist over treatment. The system addresses problems related to appropriateness of care and quality of treatment, but does not get involved in fee disputes. As a private mediation system, peer review attempts to resolve disputes outside [...]