Dental Health

Signs Of Oral Cancer: What Not To Ignore

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Categories: Dental Health, General Dentistry

oral cancer signs Provo

This post from Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo focuses on a very serious matter—oral  cancers.

The medical community categorizes oral cancers as a subset of head and neck cancers.

Oral cancers can arise in the following locations:

  • The tongue
  • The roof of the mouth and under the tongue
  • The inside of the cheeks
  • The oropharynx (the part behind the soft palate)
  • The salivary glands
  • The lips

Oral Cancers Are Particularly Deadly

Over 50,000 people are diagnosed with a type of oral cancer every year, and 10,000 people die from it. They are more common in men than women. There is no disparity when it comes to race.

The prognosis is usually grim: statistics reveal that only 57 percent of those diagnosed this year will be alive in five years.

Warning Signs

Let’s consider the common, and the not-so-common, warning signs of oral cancer.

  • Any sore or lump in the mouth or throat should be taken seriously.
  • Any white or red patch could also be a symptom.
  • Numbness of any oral feature
  • Any type of lesion, cut, or canker-type sore that doesn’t heal within 14 days

Less-common symptoms include tongue pain and loose teeth. A hoarse voice that doesn’t go away should be a concern. Unexplained tooth discoloration is rare but not unheard of.

The link between any cancer and tobacco is by now well-established. Whay may not be widely known is that this includes vaping.

At Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo, oral cancer screenings are among the special services we provide at every checkup. We offer a full range of services, including dental implants. Call to schedule an appointment today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 8161

When Something’s Gotta Give, Don’t Let It Be Your Smile

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Categories: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Health, Family Dentistry

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Life is chaotic for lots of people, and sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Sometimes your car has to wait another 500 miles for an oil change. Or you realize that you’ve had a leaky faucet for as long as you can remember. Many important things get put on the back burner, but at Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo, we urge you not to put off dental care.

Here are some common dental care shortcuts. Have you done any of them?

Rushing Through Brushing

Your teeth deserve an attentive two minutes or more. Slow and methodical beats quick and dirty. Use a system to make sure you get every tooth. Playing one of your favorite two- or three-minute songs may help you go the distance.

Only Seeing Your Dentist When You Have a Toothache

We hope none of our patients put off examinations and cleanings. When you feel tooth pain, it may be way too late to prevent a filling or even a root canal.

Neglecting Professional Cleanings

When softer plaque turns to calculus, you can’t clean it off with a toothbrush. Six-month cleanings help get rid of the tartar before it can impair your enamel or irritate your gums.

Using Floss Picks Instead of Dental Floss

While it’s better to floss with a floss pick than to not floss at all, it’s important to recognize that floss picks can only clean a part of the tooth’s surface. A floss pick holds just a small length of floss stretched in a straight line, so you can’t wrap them around a tooth to floss the entire thing.

At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo, we urge our patients to brush and floss twice each day, and see us for cleanings and checkups twice a year. Our services include family dentistry, and specialties like porcelain veneers. Schedule an appointment with us today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 7350

Why Is An Implant Better For Oral Health?

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Categories: Beautiful smile, Dental Health, Dental Implants

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Dental implants are an ideal replacement for lost teeth, and at last count more than three million Americans have received one. At Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo, we are providers of these dental marvels.

What Is A Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a titanium post that is surgically implanted into your jaw. For a single missing tooth, one implant supports a base called an abutment, along with a crown. Several implants can support a dental bridge, or a full denture arch.

One of the benefits of dental implants is that they prevent bone recession, which is common in people who have lost teeth. The titanium post goes where the tooth root used to be, and helps strengthen the bone.

Why Is An Implant Better Than Dentures Or A Bridge?

With a dental bridge, tooth structure must be removed from the neighboring teeth. That compromises the teeth on either side of the missing tooth.

Conventional dentures may be more affordable than implant-anchored dentures. But because they are removable, most patients find they are unreliably loose. They can also affect the ability to enjoy food. These are not issues with implant-supported dentures.

Dental implants from Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo are like getting back lost teeth. To find out whether they’re right for you, please call our office to schedule an appointment.

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 8131

Danger Zone! 5 Signs Of Gum Disease

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Categories: Dental Health, General Dentistry

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Here is some essential news for anyone who cares about their dental health: gum disease is a principal cause of tooth loss among adults. There is also evidence that it is connected to heart disease. Fortunately, gum disease is treatable at Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo.

What warning signs should you be looking for?

  1. Gums that bleed frequently
  2. Gums that appear tender, swollen, or very red, or gums that have visible pus in between them when they are pushed
  3. Your bite changes or your teeth suddenly don’t seem to fit together
  4. Gums that are pulling away from the teeth
  5. A bad taste in the mouth or chronic bad breath

We hope you are not suffering from any of these. If you are not removing plaque between your teeth, however, your gums are at risk. Brushing alone is not adequate—make sure you floss daily.

Regular check-ups are another critical weapon in the fight against gum disease.

At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo, we take pride in caring for our patients and want them to have healthy and pleasing smiles. Services include family dentistry, and specialties like dental implants. Call for an appointment today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 4960

4 Reasons To Make Sure Your Child Sees A Dentist

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Categories: Dental Health, Family Dentistry

American Fork family dentistDid you know that The American Dental Association recommends a child’s first visit to a dentist should occur around twelve months of age? For many parents this may come as a surprise. In this post from Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo, we review four reasons why your toddler’s teeth are worth a dental visit.

  1. Twelve months of age happens to be about the time when a child’s first teeth tend erupt. Once those teeth are out, it’s time to get them looked at by a professional.
  2. One of the critical things your dentist will do at this visit will be to clean those young teeth and apply fluoride.
  3. Visiting the dentist at a young age is a great way to help your child get used to the dentist’s office. This will help them to be more at ease with the dentist as they grow older.
  4. Visiting the dentist also helps parents enlist the help of other adults in developing good dental habits in their children. Starting early dental visits will mean that later in life your child is less likely to require braces or other dentistry procedures such as dental implants.

If your child is apprehensive about visiting the dentist, you might want to bring them for a short tour of our office beforehand. They can meet our friendly staff and learn what to expect when they come in for their exam.

At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo we offer child-friendly family dentistry. We also have a full range of cosmetic dentistry procedures to brighten any smile. Call for an appointment today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 4848

Great Reasons to Floss Your Teeth

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Categories: Dental Health, Family Dentistry

Three Great Reasons to Floss Your Teeth by Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry

Flossing can be a bit of a chore. It takes extra time, and if you haven’t flossed in a while, it can even be painful. It’s no wonder our team at Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo are constantly reminding our patients to ‘brush and floss!’

Flossing your teeth is every bit as important to your dental health as brushing is, but it has a different role. Where brushing removes plaque from the surface of the teeth and along the gum line, flossing gets into the tight spaces between your teeth. It loosens the debris that always gets wedged in, and any plaque building up.

In short, it gets those places that your toothbrush can’t.

Should you floss before brushing, or after? The jury is out on that one. Some research suggests that flossing first can make brushing more effective. The idea is that after flossing, there is less gunk between your teeth. The fluoride in your toothpaste is able to get in there better.

Do whichever you prefer. Just be sure to do it!

We think of flossing as the detail work. Brushing gets most of the work done, but it takes floss to get into those tight places, and leave your mouth as clean as it can be.

At Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo, we want the best possible dental health for all our patients. Services include family dentistry, and specialties like dental implants. Call to schedule an appointment with us today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 7780

Why Visit The Dentist?

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Categories: Dental Health, General Dentistry

Why Visit The Dentist?

At Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo, we say it all the time: see us twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. And happily, most of our patients are really good about making and keeping their appointments twice a year. It’s the best way to stay on top of their dental health.

As important as healthy teeth are, you should know that good dental health is also directly related to your overall health. Poor dental health has been linked to various diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, premature birth and low birth weight, and diabetes.

Furthermore, poor dental health leads to gum disease. With regular brushing and flossing, and twice yearly dental checkups, gum disease is 100 percent preventable.

More Reasons

The above should be enough to get anyone in to the dentist’s office twice a year. But if it isn’t enough, here are three more very good reasons why you should get a cleaning and checkup every six months.

  • Plaque and tartar. Even with brushing and flossing twice a day, plaque can build up on the teeth and gums. Plaque hardens into tartar. Simply put, there are areas in the mouth that your floss and toothbrush just cannot reach. Professional cleanings, however, can.
  • X-rays. By taking dental x-rays and updating them regularly, we can detect problems that a simple visual inspection won’t turn up. The sooner new issues are treated, the better: treatment will be easier, less painful, and less expensive.
  • Oral cancer. It isn’t just smokers who need to be concerned about oral cancer; anyone can get it. Finding it in its earliest stages gives you the best chance for successful treatment and a full recovery. We can check for any symptoms, and if we find them, tell you what you need to do.

As you can see, there are lots of reasons why it’s important to visit Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. We offer family and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule your next checkup today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 7774

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Saliva

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Categories: Dental Health, General Dentistry

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In this blog post from Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo, we are going to review the complexity and importance of your saliva.

You may pause, and think yuk. But there’s nothing to be squeamish about. Saliva is a finely balanced body fluid that not only maintains dental health but also aids in the digestion of your food.

So, without further ado, here are the main components of saliva.

  1. Water. No surprise here! Your saliva consists of water, for the most part.
  2. Enzymes. Enzymes are essential biological catalysts that speed chemical reactions. The enzymes in saliva begin the process of digestion.
  3. Immunoproteins. These are powerful cells that fight invaders, such as bacteria. The immunoproteins in saliva curb the overgrowth of microbes in the mouth. This is critical for avoiding gingivitis and keeping the proper pH balance in the mouth.
  4. Minerals. Saliva minerals help with maintaining the protective enamel surface of the teeth.

Most people produce enough saliva, but some suffer from dry mouth, which is a lack of saliva. This can be detrimental to your dental health, so be sure to talk to us if you are experiencing this.

At Hammond Aesthetic and General Dentistry in Provo we want the best possible dental health for each of our patients. Services include family dentistry, and specialties like dental implants. Schedule an appointment today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 6725

Get On Top Of Your To-Do List by Calling Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry

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Categories: Dental Health, Family Dentistry

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Is it time to get your life back in order? Maybe you’ve let certain things slide: things like refilling a prescription, changing your furnace filter, getting your oil changed – or making a dental appointment with Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo.

If you’ve been pushing dental work onto the back burner, maybe it’s time to just get it out of the way and move on to your other tasks.

Taking good care of your teeth and gums is one of the best things you can do for yourself. After all, studies show there is a direct correlation between your dental health and your overall health. Regular cleanings and checkups ensure good overall health.

We recommend having a cleaning and checkup every six months. Does that sound excessive? It isn’t. Here’s just one good reason to see us twice a year: gum disease is 100% preventable, provided it is caught in its early stages. Gum disease happens  to be one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adult Americans.

Maybe you think everything is okay because you brush and floss three times a day. If you do, that’s great! But there are areas where your toothbrush, and even floss, cannot reach adequately. These can only be properly cleaned by a trained dental hygienist.

You get the point. A cleaning and checkup at Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo is the best way to maintain your dental health. Our services include family dentistry, and specialties like dental implants and porcelain veneers. Schedule your next checkup today.

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 6467

Are Floss Picks As Good As Regular Dental Floss?

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Categories: Dental Health, Family Dentistry

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Here’s a question, followed by commentary, from Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo: Are floss picks as good as regular floss?

While it’s better to use a floss pick than to not floss at all, it’s important to note that floss picks can only clean a part of the tooth’s surface. We recommend using traditional string floss or dental tape. Here’s why:

A floss pick holds just a small piece of floss stretched in a straight line. A straight piece of floss just doesn’t make sense because it can’t wrap around a tooth as well as traditional floss. By wrapping floss completely around a tooth, you clean it more thoroughly and efficiently.

Here is a refresher course on appropriate flossing:

  • Cut a section of floss about 18 inches long and securely wind each end around your middle fingers.
  • Take hold of the floss with your forefinger and thumb leaving about two inches to work with. Thread the floss between two teeth.
  • Hold the floss securely against the side of the tooth and move it up and away from the gumline. You want to clean the space between the tooth and gum without pulling more gum tissue away, so it’s important to scrape up and out of the pocket.
  • Move the floss around the tooth to clean every surface—especially those that your brush can’t reach. You can use a “shoeshine” method if you like. As you use a section of floss, unwind from one hand to access a clean piece. With 18 inches, you should have enough to provide a clean piece for each tooth. If you run out, that’s okay. Just toss the used piece and cut a new piece.
  • Some people find it smoother to start on one end of the upper teeth and clean each gap one by one until they reach the end on the opposite side, and then repeat for the lower arch. Whatever method you decide on, make sure you clean around every tooth, including the back surfaces of the rear molars.
  • If you have never flossed before, your gums might bleed the first few times. The bleeding may be due to gum inflammation, the beginnings of gum disease. Keep flossing gently and the bleeding generally stops within a week or two.

At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Provo, we want all our patients to enjoy clean teeth and good dental health. Our services include family and cosmetic dentistry, including clear braces from Invisalign. Call for an appointment today!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

 

ArticleID 7340