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What is oral cancer?

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. If you have been putting off a visit to our San Antonio or Castroville office, now is an excellent time to schedule one. Regular visits to San Antonio Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, P.A. 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.

You have a pain along the back of your jaw. You think it may be an impacted wisdom tooth struggling to make its appearance. But you aren't sure you need a dentist to see it. The pain is only minor, and popping a few aspirin makes it feel fine after a day or two.

Patients in similar situations like yours come in to see Dr. Mazock, Dr. Salazar, and Dr. Coleman every day with the same problem. They don't realize that this simple, recurring pain from an impacted wisdom tooth can lead to more serious problems. It will also lead to a procedure called oral surgery.

What Is oral surgery?

Oral surgery, also called oral and maxillofacial surgery, is a dental surgical procedure that treats diseases and injuries along the teeth, jaw, and facial bone area of the face. Treatments can consist of surgery that will remove the problem tooth, install implants and other orthodontic appliances, remove abnormal tissue growths, and treat infected gums.

What types of oral surgery treatment are available?

Oral surgery can treat a number of patient problems that you have probably heard of, and others that you may not have considered. Oral surgeons will address issues such as impacted teeth by removing the tooth, fix tooth loss by surgically adding dental implants, and treat certain jaw disorders that create facial pain (TMJ disorders).

In addition to these normal dental procedures, oral surgeons will also remove growth of tissues for a biopsy to be performed. This helps identify cysts and tumors that form in the mouth. Oral surgeons can treat facial infections that can lead to life-threatening situations for patients. They can even help you, and your spouse, sleep better at night by performing surgery to alleviate snoring or sleep apnea problems.

When should you go to an oral surgeon?

Never wait until the pain increases to the point where you can't sleep at night or the pain affects your concentration at work. The sooner you see Dr. Mazock, Dr. Salazar, and Dr. Coleman who can diagnose and identify the problem, the faster you can be on the road to having good dental hygiene. If you experience any type of facial trauma, something happens with your existing dental appliances where it's becoming difficult to eat, or you notice swollen and bleeding gums, seek dental help immediately.

You don't have to suffer through the pain. With our expert and caring help, we will get you smiling again.

It’s human nature to delay tackling problems. We even have the clichés to prove it:  “Leave well enough alone.” “Out of sight, out of mind.” “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!” But when it comes to your health, proactive care is always best. And when it comes to dental health, your wisdom teeth are certainly something to be proactive about!

Children have 20 baby teeth that are replaced over time with 32 adult teeth. The last to arrive, in our late teens and early twenties, are the four third molars, or wisdom teeth. But that “32” total is a little flexible. Some people never develop wisdom teeth at all. You can stop reading here if you are one of this carefree group. The rest of us have from one to four wisdom teeth, and it’s a smart idea to ask our dental professionals just what we have going on below the gumline.

Your dentist might be the first to mention your wisdom teeth at your regular checkup, or you might be surprised to see a new tooth emerging while you are doing your nightly brushing and flossing. Wisdom teeth can remain trapped under gums and bone, a condition called “impaction,” they can erupt partially, or sometimes even erupt completely. They can be symptom-free, or may present with pain, redness, swelling, or bad breath. But whenever the first signs of wisdom teeth appear, in an X-ray or in your mirror, it’s time to discuss your options.

Completely Impacted Tooth

A wisdom tooth may never erupt, remaining trapped below your gums because it has no room to emerge. Even though it isn’t visible, an impacted wisdom tooth can pose serious risks requiring its extraction:

• Other teeth might be pushed out of alignment as the tooth tries to emerge
• The roots of neighboring teeth can be damaged by pressure from the trapped tooth
• A cyst can develop around the impacted tooth which can damage neighboring teeth, nerves, and bone
• Rarely, a tumor can develop. While these are usually benign, they can require the removal of bone and tissue.

Even if you are symptom-free, regular exams and X-rays are important for monitoring the condition of impacted wisdom teeth to make sure that they remain problem-free.

Partially Impacted Tooth

A wisdom tooth can also begin to erupt, but never break completely through the gums. The partially exposed tooth and the gum tissue are very difficult to clean effectively, trapping food particles and bacteria. Partially erupted teeth:

• Have a greater chance of serious decay
• Increase the risk of gum disease
• Can also cause problems as they emerge when they are angled toward neighboring teeth.

When infection and rapid decay are present, or the tooth is emerging at an angle which can damage nearby teeth or bone, extraction is often considered the best treatment option.

Preventive Extraction

Some people have enough room in their mouths to accommodate wisdom teeth without affecting the alignment of their other teeth or their bite. Some wisdom teeth never erupt at all, staying within the jawbone without affecting other teeth. If there are no problems with these teeth, your dentist and oral surgeon might recommend leaving them in place and monitoring them carefully.

If there is the potential for crowding, damage to nearby teeth, or any other future problems, extraction could be recommended as a preventative measure. Age can be an important factor in recommending extraction as well. Patients in their late teens and early twenties often have an easier time with wisdom tooth surgery because:

• The roots of the wisdom tooth aren’t as developed
• Jawbone structure is not as dense
• Shorter roots aren’t as likely to impact sinuses in the upper jaw
• Shorter roots are less likely to cause interference with nerves in the lower jaw
• Bone healing and regeneration is more efficient at this age.

If you are considering the best plan of action for your wisdom teeth, an appointment with Dr. Mazock, Dr. Salazar, and Dr. Coleman at our San Antonio or Castroville office is a very good idea. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have a minimum of four years of advanced studies in a hospital-based residency program, where they train with medical residents in the fields of general surgery, anesthesiology, internal medicine, and other specialties with a specific focus on the bones, muscles, and nerves of the face, mouth, and jaw.

Oral surgeons like Dr. Mazock, Dr. Salazar, and Dr. Coleman are experts in dealing with wisdom teeth and surgical extractions. And while most extractions are fairly straightforward, their surgical training and experience is invaluable where extractions are more complicated due to the position of the tooth in the jaw, the degree of impaction, and the length and development of the roots. They are trained in all forms of anesthesia, and can provide whichever method you choose for your most comfortable experience, whether it be local anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia.

When you’re dealing with your health, the only cliché that really applies is “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”! Whether your wisdom teeth are best treated with extraction or regular monitoring, Dr. Mazock, Dr. Salazar, and Dr. Coleman can help you decide on the best plan for your dental health both today and for your future.

What is a dentist?

Dentistry has been around for hundreds and possibly thousands of years. Tools and depictions of procedures using those tools have been discovered among many different early civilizations throughout history. The field of dentistry became solidly mainstream in the 1800s when “dentists” organized their practice as a primary professional activity, rather than as one of an array of services.

Modern dentists require a medical license that is awarded after completion of a number of years of rigorous schooling. These medical professionals are taught to address the maintenance of healthy teeth and gums, though some obtain additional licenses that focus on more specific areas of oral health.

General dentistry is usually sought for cleaning and mending of slightly damaged teeth, while providing advice on future prevention of decay and other problems. As society has seen a dramatic shift in the cosmetic direction, many dental professionals have trained to offer whitening procedures as well.

Where does an oral surgeon come in?

Patients are often referred to an oral-maxillofacial surgeon if a procedure exceeds the abilities of a general dentist. While dentists are often capable of handling simple extractions, teeth that have become severely impacted usually require someone with greater expertise. In many cases, the patient will be put under sedation for the duration of the more complex procedure, and may require several days for sufficient healing.

In addition to more difficult extractions, oral surgeons commonly handle:

• Implant surgery
• Reconstructive surgery on the jaw or face to resolve problems with speech and proper function
• Corrective surgery of the jaw to improve structure and alignment
• Grafting of the bone or soft tissues in order to resolve defects and injuries
• Repair of birth defects that have affected the face or jaw

Which medical professional should you see?

Teeth are extremely important and should be treated with care. As the surface of a tooth wears down, more sensitive tissues can become exposed, and in cases where decay is allowed to continue, even the nerve can be affected.

When it comes to identifying which of these practitioners you should see, a consultation is almost always necessary if you have special concerns. Seeing Dr. Mazock, Dr. Salazar, and Dr. Coleman on a regular basis is highly recommended, but many clients fail to do so until they begin to experience pain or discomfort. If you are diligent in receiving routine care, though, you are more likely to prevent problems that will require the services of an oral surgeon, and will probably be happier with your smile in general.