Regular dental exams aid in keeping gums and teeth healthy. They also help in the detection or oral cancer. Residents of the area should have a dental exam from a Santa Barbara dentist at six-month intervals.
The next time you visit a dentist from Santa Barbara ask about oral cancer screening. The Santa Barbara dentist will check for irregular tissue changes and lumps in the oral cavity, cheeks, head, and neck. The soft tissue in the mouth will be thoroughly examined. The Santa Barbara dentist will look specifically for discolored tissue or sores.
If a dentist from Santa Barbara detects and treats oral cancer early, the prognosis is more favorable. Treatment of oral cancer in advanced stages can lead to post surgery permanent oral and facial disfiguration, function loss, or chronic pain. It can be deadly when oral cancer is not detected and treated in the early stages.
Possible warning signs include:
• Changes in teeth configuration
• Tongue numbness
• Hoarseness
• Difficulty moving the tongue or jaw
• Ear pain
• Difficulty swallowing or chewing
• The feeling of having something caught in your throat
• Thick hard spots
• Lumps
• Sores that won’t heal or bleeding sores
Oral health is extremely important. The major cause of dental disease is the lack of oral health. Good lifestyle habits such as healthy eating are instrumental in the prevention of dental diseases. Part of healthy body maintenance is maintaining good oral health.
In conjunction with proper dental care, some nutritional changes can prevent commonly seen dental diseases. Starchy and sweet foods are detrimental to teeth. They quicken teeth disintegration and accelerate acid attacks. Over time, the damage becomes visible.
The easiest way to treat common dental disease is to prevent it. Basic dental hygiene is important for the prevention of oral disease. Regular dental checkups with a dentist from Santa Barbara control plaque. Free-floating oral bacteria is cleaned away before colonies form plaque. Dental plaque is responsible for producing acid and absorbing sugar.