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How to Remove Plaque

December 17, 2019 by Claire Leave a Comment

How to Remove Plaque

What is Plaque?

After your dentist performs a teeth whitening treatment, your teeth will look sparkly and white, but over time this beautiful color fades away, and the teeth start to appear slightly dull and yellow. This yellow color comes from plaque, which is a filmy substance made out of bacteria. Plaque accumulates both above and below the gum line. This might not be a pleasant sight for you, but it is even worse for the health of your teeth and gums if it is not removed. 

Best Ways to Remove Plaque

The best and most effective way to get rid of plaque is to brush your teeth twice a day. Make sure to use a soft toothbrush and replace it every three to four months when the bristles of the toothbrush start to fray. Using an electric toothbrush is usually more effective at removing plaque than a traditional toothbrush.

You should also floss before brushing your teeth. This way, any bits of food stuck to the teeth are removed so you can brush them away. To floss your teeth:

  1. Take about 18 inches of floss and wrap one end around each of your middle fingers.
  2. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers. Then, gently push the floss between two teeth.
  3. Move the floss into a C-shape on the side of one tooth.
  4. Rub the floss up and down gently, continuing to press it against your tooth.
  5.  Repeat this process for every tooth.

After flossing, brush your teeth for approximately two minutes.

To Brush Your Teeth:

  1. Take an amount of toothpaste about pea-sized on your toothbrush.
  2. Hold your toothbrush on your teeth at a 45-degree angle to your gums.
  3. Move your toothbrush back and forth in short, gentle strokes the same width for each of your teeth.
  4. Brush all the outside surfaces, inside surfaces, and chewing surfaces of your teeth, and don’t forget your tongue.
  5. For the inside of your front teeth, tilt your toothbrush vertically and make small up and down strokes.

Unfortunately, plaque will accumulate very quickly after being brushed away. Experts suggest other at-home treatments to remove plaque buildup. These recommendations include oil pulling and baking soda treatments.

Oil Pulling

Dr. Kristina Neda, a dentist in Georgetown KY, says swishing coconut or olive oil around in your mouth may strengthen your teeth, prevent the tooth from decaying, and remove plaque.

Coconut oil is believed to be a good option because it contains fatty acids such as lauric acid, a substance with inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. 

Baking Soda

Research has brought forth evidence which shows that individuals who brush their teeth with baking soda removed more plaque. These individuals also had less plaque regrowth over twenty-four hours than those who brushed their teeth with toothpaste not containing baking soda.

How Plaque Causes Tartar to Form

Tartar forms when plaque on the surface of your teeth combines with minerals in your saliva. Just like plaque, tartar can also form on both above and below the gum line. Tartar acts as a breeding ground for plaque bacteria.

Unlike plaque, tartar can’t be removed by brushing or flossing. The only way to get rid of it is to visit our dentists for a teeth cleaning service. They will use a technique called “scale and polish.” Scaling refers to the removal or picking off of tartar from the teeth while polishing refers to shining and smoothing the teeth.

How to Prevent Plaque and Tartar from Forming

As mentioned before, brushing your teeth daily is the most efficient way to prevent tartar and plaque from forming. Other than that, it is also recommended to visit our team every few months for a checkup.

If you are looking for a reliable dental clinic in Sterling, MI, then you should visit Dental One Care because our team of orthodontists includes one of the most experienced and qualified orthodontists.

If there is a need for treatment to remove tartar, then you should visit us at Dental One care as we are one of the best in Sterling, MI. 

Filed Under: Family Dentist Sterling Heights MI, Flossing, General Dentistry, Oral Health, Sterling Heights Dentist Tagged With: causes of plaque and tartar, How to remove plaque, plaque, Plaque build up, teeth whitening

Teeth Cleanings Before the Holidays

December 11, 2019 by Claire Leave a Comment

Teeth Cleanings Before the Holidays

teeth cleanings before the holidaysThe holidays are just around the corner! While you may be excited about holiday activities, now is the time to have your teeth cleaned by a professional at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights, MI. Keep reading to discover why right before the holidays is the best time to get your teeth cleaned professionally.

The Importance of Regular Teeth Cleanings

Dentists in Sterling Heights MI recommend that you get teeth cleaning services by a professional at least once every six months. These cleanings come with several advantages, such as checking for gum disease.

Dr. Fardi Farhat, an orthodontist in Sterling Heights, MI, adds that regular cleanings at Dental One Care help get rid of plaque and calculus. Not all plaque and calculus can be removed during your oral hygiene activities at home. The plaque that forms beneath the gum line is particularly problematic because it can cause dental infections leading to tooth loss.

Regular dental cleanings at Dental One Care also provide an opportunity for our team to give you advice on various issues related to your dental health. This is especially important with the upcoming holidays, likely putting your dental health at risk.

The Teeth Cleaning Process

When you visit Dental One Care in Sterling Heights, MI, to have your teeth cleaned, the hygienist will start with examining your gums and teeth using an overhead light. If the hygienist observes anything of concern, he or she will bring it to the attention of Dr. Fardi Farhat.

Once the inspection is completed, the hygienist will use special tools to brush and floss your teeth. The cleaning agent used during this process is stronger than the toothpaste you use at home, so your teeth will be cleaned thoroughly.

Any stains on your teeth will also be removed during this teeth whitening unless they are intrinsic stains that cannot be removed by abrasive tools or agents.

For people with dentures, the dental cleaning process at Dental One Care will involve cleaning and adjusting those dentures. By the end, the dentures will be clean and fit properly.

When necessary, a fluoride treatment will be administered to give your teeth added protection against cavities and tooth decay. 

If you have other dental work, like dental crowns or fillings, the hygienist in Sterling Heights will polish that dental work.

Educational Instructions During Teeth Cleaning

Your dental hygienist at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights MI will also give you some educational information relevant to your dental health. This could include the following categories of information;

Nutritional Advice. This advice will be given to you to ensure that you avoid excessive holiday treats and drinks that could be detrimental to your dental health. Getting more of the foods and drinks that are beneficial to your dental and overall health is more important.

Proper Brushing and Flossing Techniques. The hygienist may have noticed that certain parts of your teeth aren’t being cleaned appropriately as you brush and floss. Thus, he or she may advise you on how to improve your technique. An improved technique will help clean all the surfaces of the teeth adequately.

Counseling on Tobacco Use. If you are a smoker or use other forms of tobacco (snuff, for example), the educational instructions that you receive may include counseling about the dental risks associated with this habit.

Dental Evaluation

Once the hygienist finishes, Dr. Fardi Farhat will come and evaluate your teeth. He will identify cavities and any other dental problems you may be having. The Sterling Heights MI dentist will then suggest a follow-up visit to monitor any potential problems. He may schedule a visit to treat the problem found.

When the dental cleaning process finishes, you are free to go and start enjoying the holidays! Keep in mind all the advice given regarding how to safeguard your teeth from all the holiday sweets and delicacies. After the holidays, pay Dental One Care a visit so that Dr. Fardi Farhat can assess and fix any damage your teeth sustained during the holidays before the problems worsen.

Filed Under: Dental Cleaning, General Dentistry, Oral Health, Sterling Heights Dental Care Tagged With: Dental One Care, Dentist Holidays, Dr. Fardi Farhat, good oral care, oral hygiene habits, regular teeth cleaning, Sterling Heights Dentist

What Is Oral Cancer Screening?

December 5, 2019 by Claire Leave a Comment

What Is Oral Cancer Screening?

oral cancer screeningOral cancer screening refers to an annual examination performed by your dentist in Sterling Heights, MI. This screening is used to identify signs of cancerous or precancerous conditions inside your mouth. The purpose of performing this examination is to catch oral cancer early when the odds of a complete cure are highest. At Dental One Care, we routinely perform oral cancer screenings during our patients’ routine visits. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about oral cancer screening.

Why Oral Cancer Screening Is Done

As already mentioned, Dr. Fardi Farhat, an orthodontist in Sterling Heights MI, conducts oral cancer screening to detect oral cancer or lesions that point to the possibility of oral cancer.

These screenings are particularly vital for people who are at a higher risk of developing oral cancer. The risk factors include;

  • Users of tobacco (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, cigars, and pipes)
  • Heavy alcohol drinkers
  • A history of oral cancer
  • A history of intense sun exposure (this heightens the risk for lip cancer)

When you visit Dental One Care, ask Dr. Fardi Farhat if you are at risk of developing oral cancer. The dentist in Sterling Heights MI will ask you several questions to ascertain your risk level. If you are found to be at risk, then oral cancer screening may become part of the routine assessments that you undergo at your dental check-up.

Limitations of Oral Cancer Screening

  • Additional Tests May Be Required

Many people may have sores in their mouths. Dentists in Sterling Heights explain that oral exams may not be sufficient to identify the cancerous or noncancerous sores. Additional tests may be required before a definitive oral cancer diagnosis can be made.

  • Not All Oral Cancers Are Detectable During Oral Exams

Cancers are abnormal cell growth patterns, and it is unlikely that an oral exam will unearth all the abnormal areas in your mouth. This means that the dentist could miss a cancerous lesion during your oral cancer screening exercise.

  • The Scientific Community is Still Divided

There is no research yet to confirm that screening for oral cancer can reduce the number of deaths from this condition. However, since the chances of a cure are highest when cancer is detected early, it is wise for you to undergo this screening just in case you are at risk of developing mouth cancer.

What to Expect During Your Oral Cancer Screening

Dr. Fardi Farhat says you aren’t required to prepare anything before the oral cancer screening. The screening fits nicely into the other routine dental care that you receive.

During the oral cancer exam, Dr. Fardi Farhat will look into your mouth carefully. The dentist in Sterling Heights MI does this to detect if there are any visible white or red patches or sores inside your mouth.

If you have removable dentures, our team will ask you to remove them so that the area beneath the dentures can also be examined for sores and patches.

Additional Oral Cancer Screening Tests

Dr. Fardi Farhat may use any of the additional tests below during your oral cancer screening.

Use of a blue dye. You may be asked to rinse your mouth with a blue dye. This special dye is absorbed by any abnormal cells in your mouth, making them turn blue. When the expert at Dental One Care looks into your mouth, he will immediately spot those blue areas.

Use of a light. Alternatively, the dentist may choose to shine a light into your mouth during the oral exam. The abnormal (and potentially cancerous) cells will look white while your normal cells will look dark under this light.

If Dr. Fardi Farhat finds any precancerous lesions or other signs of oral cancer, he may recommend a follow-up visit to Dental One Care to monitor your mouth. Additionally, the Sterling Heights dentist may recommend a biopsy so additional tests can confirm or rule out oral cancer. Fortunately, most lesions turn out to be noncancerous, so don’t be worried if abnormal cells are observed in your mouth. Simply do everything that Dr. Farhat asks you to do. If you still have questions about oral cancer screening, contact us at Dental One Care.

Filed Under: Family Dentist Sterling Heights MI, General Dentistry, Oral Cancer, Sterling Heights Dental Care Tagged With: dentist in sterling heights, dentist near me, Dr. Farhat, oral cancer, oral cancer screening, oral health

Why Do I Need Braces for So Long?

December 3, 2019 by Claire Leave a Comment

Why Do I Need Braces for So Long?

why do i need braces for so long

At Dental One Care, many patients question why they have to wear braces for so long. We understand that you may want to get your braces on and off as quickly as possible. In this article, we discuss why it is so important to follow the orthodontic treatment your Sterling Heights dentist has planned. Don’t forget to look at the big picture here. Your smile and happiness mean a lot to us.

Why Braces Stay on for Long

Your teeth are firmly embedded in the jaw. In order to shift your teeth to the right position, a great deal of pressure is required. However, the needed pressure happens gradually so that the associated dental structures (periodontal ligaments, jaw, gums, and teeth) aren’t adversely affected.

Dr. Fardi Farhat explains that orthodontic treatment at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights is therefore designed to move teeth to their new positions slowly and safely. This way, the existing orthodontic problem, such as misaligned teeth, can be resolved without creating additional problems that could be hard to fix.

The treatment process may outwardly appear to belong, but it is designed in this way to keep you safe.

Can the Braces Be Removed Once the Teeth Are Straight?

While getting a beautiful smile may have been your objective in seeing an orthodontist in Sterling Heights MI, our team at Dental One Care goes a step further and aims at giving you a healthy and beautiful smile.

It is true that your teeth can look straight in a few months after getting braces. However, Dr. Fardi Farhat, a dentist in Sterling Heights, says that moving the teeth so that they look aligned is just one part of the treatment.

The second and most important part involves giving bone tissue a chance to grow and harden around the teeth that are in new positions.

It works like this; jawbone is constantly resorbing and growing. As the teeth move to their new positions, the jawbone in the old positions resorbs. At the same time, the jawbone grows in the new locations of the teeth.

As the new bone matter is deposited around the new positions of your teeth, several months have to elapse before that bone tissue hardens and holds the teeth in place. The estimated time that you are told that you will have braces for includes this time required to allow the bone tissue to harden.

What Determines How Long Your Braces Are On?

The specific duration taken during this hardening process varies from one person to another, and it also depends on several factors. For example, Dr. Tim Lyons at Lyons Orthodontics in El Dorado Hills points out that teens need a shorter time because they are still experiencing rapid growth, unlike adults whose growth spurts have come to an end.

So, we do not recommend removing the braces the moment your teeth look straight. Doing so can result in the teeth moving back to their old positions since the bone tissue around them is still soft and cannot prevent the teeth from moving as you bite, chew, or speak.

How to Avoid Prolonging the Treatment Time

Dr. Fardi Farhat, an orthodontist in Sterling Heights MI, says that some patients have braces for much longer than the estimated duration due to several factors. Some of those reasons are avoidable. Keep the following in mind to prevent having to wear braces for longer than you should.

Maintain Oral Hygiene

Brushing and flossing properly is important if you wear braces because plaque can easily trigger gum disease and other dental problems that could delay your orthodontic treatment in Sterling Heights, MI. For example, gum disease can cause your gums to swell and become red. When this happens, your dentist in Sterling Heights may be unable to access the wires and brackets in order to adjust them during a scheduled visit. That planned adjustment willM have to wait until the inflammation and gum disease has been managed. This could add a month or more to your treatment time.

Don’t Miss Appointments with Your Sterling Heights Dentist

We have already mentioned that the pressure exerted is gradual to move your teeth to their new positions. That is why your treatment plan has several orthodontist appointments spread out over several months. At each appointment, Dr. Fardi Farhat will examine you to establish how your treatment is progressing. Then, he adjusts the pressure exerted by the archwires on your braces. If you miss any of these scheduled appointments, you will have prevented your treatment from progressing to the next phase. This ultimately means an extension to the treatment duration.

Avoid this unnecessary delay to your treatment. Make sure you attend all your scheduled appointments.

Comply With the Care Instructions for Your Braces

Additionally, you can also benefit from following the instructions given to you by your orthodontist. For example, Dr. Fardi Farhat often cautions patients with braces to avoid eating hard or sticky candy. These snacks can damage or distort the shape of the brackets and wires on your braces. Hard nuts are equally detrimental. If you don’t adhere to all those instructions, the wires or brackets may break, and this will delay your treatment. Compliance is, therefore, important in ensuring that the braces will come off at the expected time.

The treatment time differs from one person to another. Ask your orthodontist in Sterling Heights MI if you’re on track to get your braces on time. If anything unexpected, such as severe tooth pain, happens during your treatment, contact us at Dental One Care immediately so that a diagnosis and remedy can be implemented in order to keep your orthodontic treatment on track.

Filed Under: Braces, Orthodontist Tagged With: braces, dental braces, orthodontic treatment

Tips for Healing After a Root Canal

November 27, 2019 by Claire

Tips for Healing After a Root Canal

After a root canal procedure is complete, your dentist will likely send you home with guidelines to follow for pain management and how to care for your tooth post-surgery until a follow-up appointment has been scheduled. Following the instructions given by your dentist is very important, especially in the case of temporary fillings or crown placements.

The medication to numb your mouth during the procedure will eventually wear off. As this happens, you may feel tenderness in that specific area, which might last for a couple of days. Since during the procedure, your mouth had to stay open for an extended period of time, some mild soreness will most likely follow.

Over-the-counter medication usually takes care of these symptoms. However, there is a possibility that your dentist might prescribe something stronger, like a strong narcotic medication. If this the case, then you have to follow the instructions as narcotics can make you drowsy carefully. You should take precautions when taking these, like not taking them while driving a car or using heavy machinery.

Problematic Symptoms Post Root Canal Therapy

Though you are feeling a slightly different sensation in your treated tooth compared to the other teeth for some time, you should contact your dentist immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:    

. Visible swelling inside or outside your mouth

. An allergic reaction to the prescribed medication (rash, hives or itching)

. Severe pain or pressure on the teeth lasting more than a few days

. Your bite feels uneven

. Symptoms you experienced before treatment return

. The crown or filling comes out if there was any.

Tips for Healing After a Root Canal

After the procedure has been completed, you must wait until the numbness passes before eating so you do not bite your tongue or cheek accidentally. You must also try to avoid chewing or biting with the treated tooth until it has fully recovered to avoid damaging it. To clean it properly and avoid infection, you must brush and floss daily.

Once the root canal and follow up inspections are complete, you will need to return to your dentist for a final crown to fully restore the tooth. It is necessary to schedule this appointment as soon as the dentist finishes working on your tooth. A properly treated tooth and restored tooth can last just as long as the other teeth. That is why choosing the best dentist is very crucial. If you live anywhere near Sterling, MI, you should consider visiting Dental One Care. Our team of medical experts includes dentists who are highly qualified and experienced to make sure the whole process of the root canal goes as smoothly as possible and that the client is satisfied because there is nothing more valuable to us than client satisfaction.

Filed Under: General Dentistry, Root Canal, Sterling Heights Dental Care Tagged With: Dental One Care, post root canal, Root Canal, Sterlign Heights dentist, tips for healing a root canal

Tips For Healing After a Root Canal

November 13, 2019 by Claire

Tips For Healing After a Root Canal

Tips for healing after a root canalAfter a root canal procedure is complete, your dentist will likely send you home with guidelines to follow for pain management and how to care for your tooth post-surgery until a follow-up appointment has been scheduled. Following the instructions given by your dentist is very important, especially in the case of temporary fillings or crown placements.

The medication used to numb your mouth during the procedure will eventually wear off. As this happens, you may feel tenderness in that specific area, which might last for a couple of days. Since during the procedure your mouth had to stay open for an extended period of time, some mild soreness will most likely follow.

Over-the-counter medication usually takes care of these symptoms. However, there is a possibility that your dentist might prescribe something stronger, like a strong narcotic medication as well. If this the case, you have to carefully follow the instructions as narcotics can make you drowsy. You should take necessary precautions when taking these, like not taking them while driving a car or using heavy machinery.

Problematic Symptoms

You should contact your dentist immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:    

. Visible swelling inside or outside your mouth

. An allergic reaction to the prescribed medication (rash, hives or itching)

. Severe pain or pressure on the teeth lasting more than a few days

. Your bite feels uneven

. Symptoms you experienced before treatment return

. The crown or filling comes out if there was any.

After the procedure has been completed you must wait until the numbness passes before eating so that you do not bite your tongue or cheek accidentally. You must also avoid chewing or biting with the treated tooth until it has fully recovered to avoid damaging it. To clean it properly and avoid infection, you must brush and floss daily.

Once the root canal and follow up inspections are complete you will need to return to your dentist for a final crown to fully restore the tooth. It is necessary to schedule this appointment as soon as the dentist finishes working on your tooth. A properly treated tooth and restored tooth can last just as long as the other teeth. That is why choosing the best dentist is very crucial. If you live anywhere near Sterling, MI, you should consider visiting Dental One Care. Our team of medical experts includes dentists who are highly qualified and experienced to make sure the whole process of the root canal goes as smoothly as possible and that the client is satisfied because there is nothing more valuable to us than client satisfaction.

Filed Under: General Dentistry, Root Canal, Sterling Heights Dental Care Tagged With: dental 1 care, Root Canal, tips

Measures to Take When Your Crown Falls Out

November 7, 2019 by Claire Leave a Comment

Measures to Take When Your Crown Falls Out

Temporary dental crowns aren’t designed to last long since they are only needed for a week or two. Since temporary crowns aren’t made from very strong materials, it is possible for them to fall out prematurely. If your temporary crown ever pops out, our team at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights recommends the following.

Remove The Temporary Crown Completely

You risk swallowing the crown or aspirating it into your lungs if it is partially dislodged and you keep it in your mouth while you eat or speak. The first step that Dr. Christopher Green, an emergency dentist in Parker, CO, recommends is that you take out the temporary crown from your mouth. Removing it also prevents the germs that are on that crown from spreading to any damaged tissues at the site of the dislodged temporary crown.

Rinse Your Mouth

It is possible that the detached temporary crown may have left shards in your mouth. For this reason, the experts at Dental One Care recommend that you rinse your mouth so that you remove those shards if they are present.

Examine Your Tooth

If you can, look at the tooth from which the temporary crown has popped. See if you can locate any areas of the tooth that are damaged. If you can’t inspect it visually, you can gently run your tongue over the surface of the tooth. If there are jagged edges, make a mental note of the location of those sharp or jagged edges. This information will be vital in the next step that your Sterling Heights dentists recommend that you take.

Contact Your Sterling Heights Dentist

After examining your tooth, contact us immediately and explain your dental emergency to your Sterling Heights dentist. If you noticed jagged edges when you examined your tooth, let the dentist know. Dr. Fardi Farhat will get you in ASAP so he can fix the temporary crown before further damage occurs.

Clean the Dental Crown

After talking to an emergency dentist, proceed to the step of cleaning the popped temporary crown. Use a clean toothbrush to gently scrub the crown. While at it, you should also ensure that you clean the place in your mouth from where the temporary crown popped out of.

While You Wait to See Dr. Farhat

Depending on the specific instructions that you were given when you called Dental One Care, you may need to reattach the temporary crown. This step is necessary because the preparations done on your tooth to get it ready for the permanent crown need to be protected from being compromised. Additionally, the tooth is weaker because of the enamel that was removed, so having the temporary crown in place shields that tooth from damage. To put it back, buy over-the-counter dental cream and first place the crown on the tooth to confirm that you have got the position of the crown right. You can then follow the usage instructions provided on the package of the dental cream to reattach the crown.

Gently bite down on the crown to be sure that you placed it back correctly. If it feels strange or uncomfortable, then you may have positioned it incorrectly.

Why Do Temporary Crowns Fall Out?

Sterling Heights dentists explain that temporary crowns can fall out for a variety of reasons that are connected to either the underlying tooth or the temporary crown itself. The retention of the temporary crown largely depends on the integrity of the tooth structure surrounding the crown. Dr. Fardi Farhat specifically singles out heavy teeth grinding, trauma and tooth decay as the most common reasons why temporary and permanent crowns will pop out.

If none of those factors are found responsible for the falling out of your temporary crown, then the adhesive used to attach that crown could have failed and left the temporary crown loose.

When you call Sterling Heights Dentist, Dr. Farhat, he will assess the popped out temporary crown and determine if it can be repaired and reattached or a replacement one needs to be made. Follow all the temporary crown care instructions that our experts give you and you will have no problem until it is time to get the permanent crown.

Filed Under: Dental Crown, Sterling Heights Dental Care, Sterling Heights Dentist Tagged With: dental crown, emergency dentist Sterling Heights

Osteoporosis and Oral Health

November 5, 2019 by Claire Leave a Comment

Osteoporosis and Oral Health

Osteoporosis refers to a medical condition characterized by the brittleness of bones due to loss of bone density. The older one gets, the higher their risk of suffering from this condition. Research shows that dental x-rays are effective in identifying people with low bone density, which is one of the signs of osteoporosis. Since the majority of people visit their dentist more often than they see their doctor, your dentist in Sterling Heights, MI may be in the best position to spot the possibility that you could be suffering from osteoporosis. For those who already know that they have this condition, there are many implications for your oral health.

Notify Your Sterling Heights Dentist

If you are taking any medication for osteoporosis, inform our team at Dental One Care. This is vital because some of those drugs that you are taking could affect your dental health.

For example, the medicines that are given to strengthen bones (drugs called antiresorptive agents) have been linked to a rare complication called osteonecrosis of the jaw. This condition causes serious damage to the jaw and the jaw plays an important role in keeping your teeth firm.

Some antiresorptive agents are given to cancer patients to combat the tendency of high amounts of calcium to float in their blood. The more of these medications that you take, the higher your risk of developing dental problems.

How Antiresorptive Agents Affect Dental Treatment

The vast majority of patients who have been diagnosed with osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) are cancer patients that have received repeat doses of antiresorptive agents. Only 10 percent of people develop ONJ while taking low doses of antiresorptive agents as a treatment for osteoporosis, so you can see how important it is for you to inform your Sterling Heights dentist if you have cancer, osteoporosis or any other condition for which you are taking antiresorptive agents.

If your doctor recommends antiresorptive agents as part of your treatment, let your dentist know. Have this discussion with an expert at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights as soon as you can after starting the treatment so that an appropriate plan can be made to maintain your dental health during your treatment.

Keep Visiting Your Dentist

Under normal circumstances, it isn’t necessary to put off undergoing dental treatment while on antiresorptive agents. The odds of getting ONJ are very low. However, leaving a dental condition untreated poses a bigger risk of serious complications. Dental One Care experts recommend that anyone undergoing cancer treatment using antiresorptive agents should postpone undergoing any invasive dental procedure, such as dental implant surgery.

If there is a chance, talk to your dentist in Sterling Heights before you begin taking antiresorptive agents as a treatment for cancer. Your dentist will examine you and treat any dental disease that you have before you commence cancer therapy. 

In the same vein, it is advisable that you tell your doctor or oncologist if you recently underwent any dental treatment. They will assess the situation and design an appropriate treatment plan that will give you the best outcomes.

Symptoms of ONJ

There are many signs and symptoms of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). These include the following;

  • Infection, swelling or pain in the jaw or gum.
  • Recently treated or injured gums that aren’t healing as expected.
  • Loose teeth.
  • A feeling of heaviness or numbness of the jaw.
  • Exposed bone tissue.

When you observe any of those signs or any others, contact us at Dental One Care immediately. One of our experts will examine you and make an appropriate diagnosis or refer you to another specialist to start osteoporosis treatment.

As you can see, osteoporosis is a condition that can have serious implications for your dental health. It is therefore important for you to do everything possible to prevent this condition from developing. Our friend, Dr. Green, a dentist in Parker, CO, states that preventive measures include having a balanced diet (rich in vitamin D and calcium), exercising regularly, quitting smoking and consuming alcohol in moderation.

For more information on how your dental health can be safeguarded if you have osteoporosis, contact Dental One Care in Sterling Heights. We shall partner with you on your journey to maintain peak dental health.

Filed Under: General Dentistry, Oral Health, Sterling Heights Dental Care, Sterling Heights Dentist Tagged With: dentist in stelring heights mi, oral health, osteoperosis

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