April is here, which means it’s Oral Cancer Awareness Month—the perfect time to focus on a disease that often goes undetected until it’s advanced. Around 50,000 Americans are diagnosed each year, and catching it late can make treatment more difficult. But there’s hope. A brief, painless exam can help detect oral cancer early. Keep reading to learn about risk factors, warning signs, and why your routine dental checkup can play a life-saving role.
February is Gum Disease Awareness Month—a timely reminder of just how important healthy gums are for your smile and overall well-being. Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is one of the most common dental issues among adults. It can progress silently, often without noticeable symptoms, and if left untreated, it becomes the leading cause of tooth loss.
As we welcome another new year, have you thought about the role your smile plays in your overall well-being? For many of us, resolutions focus on health, but oral care often gets left out of the picture. Yet, your oral health impacts far more than just your teeth—it’s also connected to your confidence, comfort, and even your overall wellness.
When we aren’t feeling well or experience complications with our oral health, medication can help us feel better and improve our condition. When we learn about side effects from our doctor or pharmacist, they typically tell us how they will affect our overall health. You may be surprised to learn that prescription and over-the-counter medications can affect your oral health as well. We want to raise awareness of the fact that many medications can significantly impact the future of your oral health.
We want to help our patients achieve optimal oral health. However, patients often have certain habits that can affect their teeth and gums. This can lead to problems with decay and gum disease and cause dental emergencies. While some habits are obvious, others may be unexpected. We want to share three of the most common habits that patients are unaware can affect their oral health. Read on to learn if you have any of these habits.
We are loving that the summer season is starting in a few short days! We cannot wait to relax and enjoy all that summer has to offer. We love the long, bright days and the warm weather. We want to encourage you to continue to care for your teeth and oral health this summer. Failure to do so can lead to serious complications with your oral health. Here are some helpful tips to follow:
Making every effort to support healthy teeth and gums is crucial. At Pollard Dental, we do all we can to help our patients achieve this by performing routine oral hygiene examinations and dental treatments as necessary. It is important for patients to do their part as well: cleaning their teeth at home and making wise food choices. Your diet plays a large part in the state of your oral health. We want to share some healthy food and beverage options that promote excellent oral health.
Do you have an infant, child, or young one in your life who uses a pacifier or sucks their thumb? Both are common self-soothing techniques and help teach infants about the environment around them. As infants grow into toddlers, using a pacifier or sucking their thumb becomes a coping mechanism when the child feels anxious or overwhelmed by a situation. At a certain age, pacifier use and thumbsucking become problems for teeth and oral health.
We often mention the importance of receiving routine dental care in our office. However, today, we want to share the importance of caring for your teeth in your own home. We see our patients so infrequently during the year, which leaves the majority of their dental care in their own hands. Caring for your teeth properly helps prevent decay and other problems with your oral health. Here are some helpful tips to help ensure optimal oral health:
We cannot believe that we have already reached the middle of December, and we will be celebrating the new year in a couple of weeks! We know that many of our patients are busy during the holidays, spending time with family and friends, attending holiday parties, and even traveling to visit relatives. We wanted to share some helpful tips to ensure that you do not have any complications with your oral health in the new year.
