Tongue Piercing

At a New York University alone, 16 percent of females and four percent of males had pierced tongues. Although tongue piercing doesn’t seem that serious, some issues could affect your teeth and mouth.

Problems that can occur with tongue piercing include nerve damage, scarring, swelling and gum disease. Of the college students surveyed, six percent had some type of problem with tongue piercing, which was lower than naval piercing, at 24 percent and nipple piercing at 21 percent. However, tongue and floor of the mouth infections seem to be on the rise. Although a trip to the ER isn’t common, a few people have been admitted needing intravenous antibiotics for infections.

Another problem with piercing is scaring. Once the post or bar is taken out, there will always be a scar. If that isn’t bad enough, your dental restorations could also pay a price for your oral piercings.

Chipped and Cracked Teeth

People who have lip or tongue piercings are more susceptible to chipped and cracked teeth. People who wear long barbells and had chips and cracks at the backs of their teeth.

Recent studies have also indicated that oral piercings can cause gum recession as most people with piercings push the stud or bar against the front teeth. Gum recession can cause tooth loss.

If you have been considering oral piercings, talk to your East Greenbush dentist before you do. He may be able to convince you that piercing your cheek, lip or tongue isn’t such a good idea after all.

Call or click for a dental consultation with Dr. J. Craig Alexander today.

The post The Problem with Oral Piercing appeared first on .

Having regular oral cancer screenings can catch the early signs of mouth cancer before it has a chance to progress. Oral cancer can be treated successfully if tongue, cheek, lip, and throat cancer is caught early on. According to Dr. Alexander, a qualified dental professional can detect about 84 percent of oral cancers in the early stages.

Velscope

Dr. Alexander uses the Velscope screening test to look for any abnormalities. The simple and painless test looks at your oral tissue to detect any problems that you may have using specialized lights. If anything abnormal is detected, a sample will be sent to the lab for additional testing.

Who’s at Risk?

• People over 40
• Tobacco Users
• Heavy Alcohol Drinkers
• HPV Sufferers
• An Unhealthy Diet
• Prolonged Exposure to the Sun

Although there is no solid proof, people who have been diagnosed with mouth cancer usually have one or more of the above risk factors, however there are some people that have no risk factors what so ever which is why an oral cancer screening from your East Greenbush Dentist is so important.

See your Dentist if you:

• Have white or red patches on your tongue and in your mouth
• Patches or sores that don’t heal or bleed
• Hard spots or lumps in your mouth
• Pain or numbness when you bite down

Treatment and Prevention

The best way to prevent any type of oral cancer is to schedule regular dental appointments for cancer screenings. Although Dr. Craig cannot diagnose you during your cancer screening, he can send anything to the lab that looks suspicious.

If you would like to schedule an oral cancer screening with Dr. J. Craig Alexander, call or click and make an appointment today.

The post Oral Cancer Screening for Early Detection appeared first on .

There are two types of sleep tests for sleep apnea. A patient can choose an in lab sleep test, or choose an at home sleep test, however, how do you know what type of sleep apnea test is best for you.

At Home Sleep Testing

Sleep tests are conducted in your home while you are asleep. You will be asked to pick up an HST from the sleep clinic where you will be given a demonstration as to how the machine works. You will be in charge of the testing and storing of your data on the sleep study equipment that you upload the next day at your sleep clinic.

Patients choose the home sleep study because it is convenient, and has been proven more accurate. Talk to Dr. Alexander about a home sleep study if you believe you are suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The test is designed to diagnose the breathing disorders of the patient, in particular, sleep apnea.

The Process

The process will begin with a visit to your doctor who can assess any sleep behavioral problems. If any issues are noted, your physician will give you a sleeping device that you will take home to test your sleeping patterns. You will wear the device that night while sleeping before returning it to the doctor’s office the next day. Test results are usually available in 24 hours.

Treatment

Based on your diagnosis, your doctor will prescribe either CPAP Therapy or a referral to your dentist for oral appliance therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

If you have been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or prescribed therapy if OSA has been ruled out call or click and schedule an appointment with Dr. J. Craig Alexander for your sleeping disorder today.

The post Obstructive Sleep Apnea Therapy NY appeared first on .