A comprehensive exam includes the (clinical) examination of the teeth and gums, a full mouth of x-rays and a cleaning.
Prevention is the key to avoiding having relatively minor oral conditions from progressing to more serious dental problems. The aim of both home and in office oral hygiene is maintain healthy gums (gingiva), tongue, and other soft tissue (mucosa) while also preventing cavities from forming. When detected early, the treatment is usually less invasive, less painful, less expensive, and more successful. The basis of sound dental care is twice a year exam and cleaning.
The exam is intended to screen for cavities, infection and oral cancer. It should be emphasized that hardened plaque, which turns into calculus or tartar, cannot be removed with tooth brushing and requires professional intervention. We customize cleanings on the basis of your periodontal (gums and bone) health. Use of ultrasonic scalers is sometimes needed to make the procedure more comfortable and effective. We utilize medicated gels along with prescription mouth rinses in problem areas if necessary.
Sealants should be used as part of a child’s total preventive dental care. Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings which are applied to the chewing surfaces of the molars (back teeth). Most tooth decay in children and teens occurs on these surfaces. Sealants cover the chewing surfaces to prevent decay. Applying sealants does not require drilling or removing tooth structure. It is an easy, painless, three step-process:
We clean teeth with special toothpaste. A special cleaning liquid, on a tiny piece of cotton, is rubbed gently on the tooth and is washed off. Finally, the sealant is painted on the tooth. It takes about a minute for the sealant to form a protective shield. Sealants should be checked regularly, and reapplied if they are no longer in place.
Children and adults at high risk of dental decay may benefit from using additional fluoride products, including dietary supplements, mouth rinses, and professionally applied gels and varnishes.
One in every 10,000 will develop oral cancer. The incidence of oral cancer is much higher in males than females; higher for Hispanic and black males than for white males.
The rate increases with age and becomes more rapid after age 50 and peaks between ages 60 and 70. Each year, more than 36,500 new cases of cancer of the mouth and throat (oral cavity and pharynx) are diagnosed, and more than 7,800 people die of these diseases. The 5-year survival rate for these cancers is only about 50%. Detection of cancer lesions in the early stages increases the survival rate for people with these cancers. Oral cancers are largely preventable type, since most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, alcohol use, or both. Clinically, screening for oral cancer is done by visual examination of the oral cavity and by the use of Velscope. Under a special blue light, there is a change in the natural fluorescence of healthy tissue changes in the presence of tumors/cancers.
A common concern is the amount of radiation we are exposed from taking dental x-rays. A typical dental x-ray image exposes us to about 0.3 units of radiation (mrem). A full mouth of x-rays is roughly 5.4 mrem and a panoramic x-ray about 2 m rem. By contrast, according to the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) and the American Nuclear Society, the average resident of the U.S. receives about 620 mrem every year; half is from natural background sources and half from man made sources. About half of the man-made radiation exposure is related to CT scans. Natural source of radiation comes from outer space, radioactive materials in the earth, and small amounts of radioactive material in most foods we consume.
Some typical sources of radiation exposure include smoke detectors (1 mrem per year), living in a brick house (10 mrem from the radioactive materials in the masonry), cooking with natural gas (10 mrem from radon gas in the natural gas supply), reading a book for 3 hours per day (1 mrem from small amounts of radioactive materials in the wood used to make the paper) flying in an airplane (5 mrem for one cross-country flight), smoking a pack of cigarettes a day (36 mrem), mammogram (42 mrem), an abdominal x-ray (700 mrem). Water contains small amount of dissolved uranium and thorium and both plants and animals contain radioactive carbon and potassium. We receive about 2 mrem per year from sleeping next to someone due to the very small amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials (carbon-14 and potassium-40) in our bodies. About 5000 mrem/year is the safe allowable dose for people who are exposed to radiation in their work.
One in every 10,000 will develop oral cancer. The incidence of oral cancer is much higher in males than females; higher for Hispanic and black males than for white males.
The rate increases with age and becomes more rapid after age 50 and peaks between ages 60 and 70. Each year, more than 36,500 new cases of cancer of the mouth and throat (oral cavity and pharynx) are diagnosed, and more than 7,800 people die of these diseases. The 5-year survival rate for these cancers is only about 50%. Detection of cancer lesions in the early stages increases the survival rate for people with these cancers. Oral cancers are largely preventable type, since most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, alcohol use, or both. Clinically, screening for oral cancer is done by visual examination of the oral cavity and by the use of Velscope. Under a special blue light, there is a change in the natural fluorescence of healthy tissue changes in the presence of tumors/cancers.
Call 210-681-1500
Mon – Fri: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed
8428 Bandera Rd Ste 1
San Antonio, TX 78250