What is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer is a growth of abnormal cells affecting any part of the mouth, including lips, tongue, lining of the cheeks, the roof of your mouth, the soft palate, floor of your mouth and throat. When the cell growth is malignant, it is commonly referred to as cancer. Cancer is typified by being life-threatening both for the threat to the part of the body it affects, but also in its risk to spread to tissues and organs in other parts of the body.

Symptoms of Oral Cancer
There are several symptoms of oral cancer. These include discolored white and/or red patches on your lips or inside your mouth, sores that do not heal, bleeding, lumps or swelling inside the mouth or throat, difficulties in chewing or swallowing, loose teeth and numbness.

Detecting Oral Cancer
Your dentist may notice symptoms of oral cancer during your regular dental examinations, and ask you about he has observed. If you have noticed symptoms of oral cancer, however, you are urged to schedule an examination with your dentist. He will check your mouth and throat with an office examination, checking both the roof and floor of your mouth, the back of your throat, and tongue for any suspicious lumps or patches. If he has concerns about a particular area, he may perform a biopsy of the area. Your dentist may simply use a oral brush to painlessly remove a small sample of cells for study, or he may choose a scalpel-based biopsy and use anesthesia to make you, the patient, more comfortable. With early detection through biopsy, your dentist can help you get the oral cancer treated and return you to good health.

A dental implant is a small cylinder that acts as a replacement “root” of a tooth. This device can support one or more false teeth. Dental implants have a success rate of 95 percent. The use of dental implants doesn’t affect healthy, adjacent teeth. There is no need for adhesives and denture creams. Dental implants are placed within the bone of the jaw.

Dental implants are fixed in place and do not move. Placing an implant is usually done using a local anesthetic. Most implants look exactly like natural teeth. Dental implants are ideal for patients who can no longer wear removable dentures. Patients should have healthy gums to hold the implant.

Dental implants have many benefits. They can give you back your smile and make you feel self confident. Dental implants allow you to eat your favorite foods and speak without the worry that dentures might slip. They are designed to blend perfectly with your mouth and create an attractive smile. Most people with dental implants state that their self confidence has been restored as a result of improved appearance.

Here are some of the main benefits of dental implants:

• Convenient oral hygiene
• Durability
• Improved self-esteem
• Improved comfort
• Improved appearance
• No further bone loss
• No decay
• Easier eating

By replacing the entire tooth, the mouth is restored to its natural state. One of the most important benefits of dental implants is the reduction of bone atrophy or shrinkage. In addition, they can restore chewing efficiency and protect your remaining natural teeth. Dental implants are less prone to gum disease than natural teeth.

Removable dentures can be uncomfortable and inconvenient. Dental implants restore the health of the jaw and eliminate discomfort. With dental implants, you no longer have to worry about your dentures cracking or slipping. Having dental implants will give you a youthful appearance and improve your quality of life.

Most individuals feel uneasy about visiting the dentist, but taking care of your oral needs is as vital to your overall health as seeing your family’s physician. While general dentistry includes regular checkups, cleaning teeth and filling cavities, dental exams involve all aspects of dental health, not just simple procedures and cleanings. Seeing your dentist regularly can improve the chances of catching gum disease and cancer in their early stages when they are much easier to treat.

A dental exam is one of the most important aspects of your health. If your oral health is poor, it can signal physical health problems, diseases and malnutrition. Many systemic problems manifest themselves as swollen gums, dry mouth or oral ulcers. In addition to general hygiene, a dentist can spot growth and development issues as well as drug problems just by looking inside your mouth.

During an exam, the dentist will x-ray your teeth and jaw to look for cavities and infection, but he will also look at facial and joint muscles. He will check for properly working joints, your bite and the relation of your upper jaw to your lower jaw. The dentist will also examine your gums for swelling, discoloration or infection. He will look at your teeth’s condition, your past dental work and check for excessive wear, loose fillings or other abnormalities. In addition, a dentist can spot the early signs of oral cancer by looking at your lips, gums, inside your checks or the roof of your mouth.

Different Procedures in Cosmetic Dentistry
A number of dental procedures involving the mouth and teeth make up cosmetic dentistry. The most common cosmetic dentistry procedure is teeth whitening, where the dentist uses a bleaching agent to restore the whiteness of the teeth. Often due to food, coffee and aging, teeth get discolored and teeth whitening can restore the natural color of the teeth. Worn, chipped and discolored teeth that cannot be repaired can be restored with the help of porcelain veneers, while the decayed and chipped teeth that can be repaired and restored with the help of composite resin dental fillings. Dental implants, crowns and bridges can replace missing teeth.

Advantages of Cosmetic Dentistry
The most obvious advantage of cosmetic dentistry is an attractive smile, which can boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. Some of the procedures have cosmetic as well as restorative advantages. For instance, decayed teeth can be filled with fillings by a cosmetic dentist and have the same benefits as amalgam fillings. However, the fact that the fillings match the original color of the person’s teeth makes it into a cosmetic dentistry procedure. Getting dental implants enhances the overall appearance of the face and smile. Usually, when a person has missing teeth, it can cause the face to sink in where the teeth are missing.

Considerations
It is important to select the cosmetic dentist with care as not every dentist can deliver anticipated results. Make sure that the dentist performs a comprehensive evaluation of your mouth, teeth, jaws and muscles, and listens to what you want and expect from the procedure. Based on evaluation and consultation, the dentist should be able to suggest a treatment plan to enhance the appearance of your teeth.

Dental Fillings
Dental fillings have been around in one form or another for decades, but they have come a long way in recent years. They are very effective at protecting and strengthening teeth that have been weakened by damage, decay or wear. Many people are familiar with the older amalgam fillings often known as silver fillings. Today, in most cases, fillings that contain no metal can be used. These fillings are made of composite resin or porcelain and closely match the tooth for an almost invisible repair.

Dental Inlays and Onlays
Dental inlays and onlays have many similarities to dental fillings. However, they are molded outside of the mouth before being bonded to the damaged tooth.

Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are extremely thin porcelain shells that mimic the appearance of tooth enamel. They are bonded to the surfaces of teeth to cover gaps, chips, stains and crooked or unevenly spaced teeth.

Dental Implants
Dental implants are a permanent and beautiful way to replace missing teeth. They are almost impossible to distinguish from your natural teeth. They are very long lasting and durable, and they can be brushed just as you would a natural tooth.

Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are beautiful, durable restorations that resemble hollow teeth. A crown is carefully custom built to fit over your natural tooth to protect and reinforce it. Today, many crowns can be created in the dentist’s office and placed in the same visit.

Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are created to fill in the gap caused by missing teeth. They are attached to remaining teeth by dental implants or crowns. Usually made of fine dental porcelain, they result in a natural-looking smile.

What is Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when the individual’s soft tissue collapses at the back of the mouth or when the brain fails to signal the individual to breath properly. This can result in snoring and often stops the individual’s breathing. The end result is a disturbance to sleep that leads to hypertension, high blood pressure, a higher risk of stroke and a higher risk of developing type two diabetes.

Potential Treatments

The treatments for sleep apnea primarily depend on the type of condition leading to the problem.

In many cases, treatment can be as simple as working on changing sleeping habits, losing weight and quitting cigarettes. Most doctors will make sleep suggestions to help as well as incorporating medical treatments.

One common option is using oral appliance therapy. In this method, obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the soft tissue collapses and stops breathing, is prevented by the device worn during sleep. It helps by repositioning the jaw and mouth, providing more stability on the lower jaw and increasing the muscle in the tongue so the airways are clear.

For serious situations, doctors might suggest supplemental oxygen to help improve breathing while sleeping. This is commonly used for those who are having serious complications or who have not seen success with other treatments.

In some cases, underlying conditions like a heart disorder or neurological disorder might require treatment to stop the sleep apnea. This type of treatment is only used if the cause is related to other health conditions.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep condition that requires immediate medical assistance. Anyone who suspects they might have sleep apnea should discuss the problem with a doctor to determine the cause and work out a treatment method to eliminate this potentially deadly condition before it results in serious complications.

Dr. Donald Alexander offers natural looking, high quality, metal free restorations in just one visit with CEREC technology. Single visit dentistry offers convenience, eliminating the need for multiple visits and temporaries for procedures like dental crowns, porcelain veneers and porcelain dental fillings.

How It Works
Dr. Alexander takes a digital impression of the tooth, using a special camera. This image is transferred to a computer where it is incorporated with the CEREC technology to create a 3-D image of the tooth.

CEREC uses CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) technology. Dr. Alexander combines the digital impression along with specific instructions so that the CAD software can design a custom restoration for the tooth or teeth.

Next, the CAD software takes over; using a milling device, the restoration is created from a single block of fine dental ceramic. Dr. Alexander can make any necessary adjustments to the color or shape to match the natural teeth. Then, the porcelain restoration is permanently bonded to the tooth.

Benefits of CEREC
Each visit to the dentist means time away from work and family. Our patients love the single visit convenience that the CEREC technology offers. Another benefit is that with CEREC, there is no need for temporaries. And our digital impressions make it all the more comfortable.

Single Visit Dentistry Jacksonville, Florida
Dr. Alexander is one of only a few dentists nationwide to feature this sophisticated technology. Contact us to learn more about CEREC single visit dentistry!

Dr. Alexander has opened The Sleep Therapy Center of North Florida where he treats patients who suffer from snoring and/or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dr. Alexander can relieve symptoms of snoring and OSA with the aid of custom-made oral appliances such as snore guards, night guards and dental splints.

What Do Sleep Disorders Have To Do With Dentistry?
Most people don’t realize the strong correlation between dentistry and sleep disorders. Dr. Alexander has special training to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with oral appliance therapy. Snoring and OSA are usually caused by a blockage in the airway that stops air from flowing freely.

How Does Oral Appliance Therapy Help?
There are different types of oral appliances. Dr. Alexander will select a type that is best suited for your condition and custom make it to fit your mouth. Regardless of the type, an oral appliance works by keeping the airway open, allowing breath to flow freely. This gives the person a more restful sleep without the interruptions caused by snoring or OSA.

The oral appliance works in several ways:

• Repositioning the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate or uvula
• Stabilizing the lower jaw and tongue
• Increasing the muscle tone of the tongue

What Causes Snoring?
The snoring sound is produced when air passes over loose tissue, causing it to vibrate. There are varying degrees of snoring, but any amount of snoring is disruptive to normal sleep patterns for both the snorer and sleep partner. Snoring can lead to obstructive sleep apnea which has been linked to heart failure, high blood pressure and stroke, as well as Type II Diabetes.

There are many things that you can do to prevent or lessen snoring, including:

• Try sleeping on your side instead of your back. Sleeping on your back can make snoring worse.
• Avoid alcohol and sedatives at bedtime, as they can relax the muscles in the throat, causing you to snore.
• Maintain a healthy weight, people who are overweight or obese are more likely to snore.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that causes a person to temporarily stop breathing during sleep. OSA is caused by a blockage in the airway, usually when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses. Even if the person isn’t fully awakened, OSA disrupts sleep, as it causes the person to come out of sleep to resume breathing.

Sleep is important to the overall health of the body. If you aren’t getting the restful sleep you need, contact the Sleep Therapy Center of North Florida to schedule your consultation with Dr. Alexander to evaluate which treatment methods are right for you.