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What is oral cancer?

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. If you have been putting off a visit to our Marysville, WA office, now is an excellent time to schedule one. Regular visits to Northwest Smile Design can be the first line of defense against oral cancer, by identifying early warning signs of the disease, or helping you with preventive care tips to lower your chances of developing it.

Oral Cancer Rates in America

Nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year, and more than 8,000 die every year from this disease. It is a devastating illness: most people who are diagnosed with it do not live more than five years beyond their diagnosis. Oral cancer has a higher death rate than many other common cancers, including cervical cancer, testicular cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and thyroid or skin cancers. The high death rate results from the fact that most oral cancers go undiagnosed until the disease is well advanced and has spread to another part of the body—most often, the lymph nodes in the neck.

What causes oral cancer?

While there is no way to predict exactly which individuals will get oral cancer, there are some potential causes you should know about—because in some cases, you can minimize these risk factors.

• Age (most patients diagnosed with oral cancer are over the age of 40)
• Tobacco use, either from cigarettes or smokeless chewing tobacco
• Excessive alcohol consumption (especially in combination with tobacco use)
• Persistent viral infections, such as HPV16
• A diet low in fruits and vegetables

In addition, oral cancer tends to occur at a rate six times greater in men than in women, and more often for African Americans than other ethnic groups. No genetic links have been identified to explain the higher incidence in these populations, so lifestyle choices remain the likeliest cause.

Oral Cancer Treatments

Once a diagnosis has been made, treatment of oral cancer usually involves a multi-disciplinary team that includes surgeons, oncologists, dentists, nutritionists, and rehabilitation and restorative specialists. Our team will decide on the best approach for each patient, depending on the risk factors and how far the cancer has progressed. The strategy will be different in every case. Some of the most common methods include chemotherapy, radiation, and potential surgery.

Finding out you have cancer can be devastating news. If you are concerned that you might be at risk for developing oral cancer, talk to us about screenings and other things you can do to reduce your risk.

We wanted to take a moment to thank our patients for the love and support during this difficult time. Many of you have asked how you can help out the family. They have lost the lives of their loved ones, but also their home and their belongings.

There are two ways that you can help. The first option is a GiveForward website where the family is collecting donations: http://bit.ly/1rAbHLD. The second option is to stop in any Key Bank location and 100% of your donation will be received by the Huestis-Jefferds family.  Just mention that you would like the funds to go to Huestis-Jefferds Family Relief Fund! If you are out of state, mention that the Huestis-Jefferds Family Relief Fund is in Washington State!

We appreciate your concern for Christina’s family and we hope to help in any way that we can!

Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I must relay the news of the passing of my close friend and longtime employee Christina Jefferds. Chris, along with her four–month-old granddaughter, Sanoah , were victims of the massive mudslide near Oso, WA that you may have seen in the news for the last several days. Our team is heartbroken, and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends as they recover from this tragedy.

Chris was the first person I hired after graduating from dental school and starting my dental practice in Marysville almost twenty two years ago. Chris was a kind, gentle, soft-spoken person who loved people and deeply loved her family. She was such a genuine person, without guile. In a time when promises are so easily set aside, her desire to be strictly honest in her dealings with her fellow man was obvious and refreshing. I always knew that my teammates, my clients, and I could trust Chris.

Chris was a beautiful person inside and out. She was so humble, yet so generous in volunteering the time, talents, and resources with which she had been blessed while never drawing attention to herself. For me personally, she was a counselor and a confidante, a steadying and calming force in times of stress, a source of inspiration and beauty, a true friend. With steadfast faith I eagerly look forward to a joyful reunion with my dear friend.

We know that the void she leaves in our office, like the void in our hearts, will be hard to fill. She has left us with a very high bar set as a legacy, and I intend to search for, and fill her position with a person who will do her legacy justice. In the meantime, I would just ask for your patience. We intend to deliver the same high level of service you have come to expect, but despite putting in extra hours it may take us just a little extra time to attend to every need.

Thank you for your understanding. And please do me a favor and tell your loved ones how much they mean to you today and always.

Sincerely,

Kelly Peterson DDS

Cavities are the reason why most people fear going to the dentist. But they’re also the reason you should be visiting Dr. Kelly Peterson on a regular basis.

Specifically, cavities are the breakdown of teeth caused by acid from food, bacteria, and plaque that inhabit the inside of the mouth. While many people simply think that cavities only form on top of a tooth, Dr. Kelly Peterson and our team at Northwest Smile Design want you to know they can actually form on the sides along the gum line and between the teeth, too. This acid will eat away at the tooth, forming a soft hole.

Anybody, either children and adults, can get cavities. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. alone about 16 percent of all children ages six to 19 have untreated cavities, and about 24 percent of adults 20 to 64 years old have them. This is detrimental to overall oral health, because cavities have a tendency to grow over time, potentially spreading to other teeth and causing increased oral pain, possibly even affecting the nerve.

That's why it's important to ensure that you're visiting Northwest Smile Design at least once every six months, so that cavities can be found and filled before they become too problematic and painful. Typically, they're found by doing a routine teeth cleaning, though X-rays or further examination may be necessary to determine the full extent of a cavity. Cavities are treated by removing the area of the tooth where decay has set in and rebuilding the tooth with a metal filling. If the cavity is too large, however, more extreme measures may be necessary, such as placing a crown or performing a root canal.

As we noted above, cavities are why people dread going to the dentist, but also the reason everyone should see the dentist every six months. Additionally, brushing twice daily, flossing, and cutting down on sugar-packed foods can reduce the risk of developing cavities.

For more information on how to best care for your teeth and why it's important to visit the dentist twice a year, please give us a call at our convenient Marysville, WA office today!