Proudly Celebrating 85 Years
and 4 Generations of Dentistry
All Your Dental Needs in One Dental Office
All Your Dental Needs in One Dental Office
All Your Dental Needs in One Dental Office
All Your Dental Needs in One Dental Office
October is Invisalign Month here at All in the Family Dental Care. You can view our promotional offer below, or click to read our full Invisalign blog post that discusses the benefits, costs, timeline, and process of how Invisalign works.
If you’d like to schedule a free Invisalign consultation, please call 732-449-2228 or click to schedule.
How confident are you in your smile? A study conducted by Kelton Global discovered that 39 percent of those surveyed say a person’s smile is the first thing they notice. And 44 percent say it is the facial aspect they remember most after meeting someone. Those statistics place a huge importance on the health of your mouth, and even more so on your teeth. At All in the Family Dental Care, we work with our patients to have a healthy and beautiful smile, but sometimes it takes some work to get to that point. We offer many services that can restore and perfect a patient’s smile, and dental implants are one of the best.
Many people are not familiar with dental implants, or the positive impact they can have on someone’s life, which is why we believe writing this blog post would be beneficial. We’re going to explain in detail what dental implants are, when they’re needed/recommended, who can perform the procedure, how much they can cost and the lifetime benefits of getting them. If after reading this post, you have additional questions or would like to have a consultation to see if you’re a candidate for dental implants, please don’t hesitate to contact us – 732-449-2228.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are often the best way to replace missing or hopeless teeth, and can be used in a variety of methods to restore optimal health, function and esthetics for your mouth. They allow you to live the way you want to – by not only giving you a beautiful smile, but allowing you to confidently eat, laugh, talk, kiss and enjoy all of your everyday activities without worrying about your teeth. For some people, the thought is that these things would never be possible for them. The advanced technology behind dental implants has made this one of the safest and successful dental procedures available today. In the past, before dental implants were a common solution, dentists would use bridges and/or loosely retained removable dentures which are not as effective and could sometimes negatively affect neighboring healthy teeth or lead to bone loss in the jaw. When properly placed and cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime with minimal to no negative effects on the mouth.
How do dental implants work?
When dental implants are placed in your jawbone (A), they integrate with your natural bone. They become a sturdy base for supporting one or more artificial teeth, called crowns. You can think of dental implants as artificial tooth roots, similar in shape to screws.
A connector – known as an abutment (B) – is placed on top of the dental implant to hold and support your crowns. The crowns are custom-made to match your natural teeth and fit your mouth (C).
Modern dental implants have been used successfully for over 30 years and allow our patients to feel like they have real, natural, new teeth. They are the #1 recommended solution for replacement teeth.
How do I know if dental implants are right for me?
There can be several contributing factors to someone losing an adult tooth, in fact millions of Americans suffer from tooth loss every year. The most common causes are due to tooth decay, periodontal disease, infection, or from injury. Dental implants can be a smart choice for adults of all ages, whether you were born without a tooth or have lost it at some point in your life. Dental implants can also occasionally be an option for adolescents, once facial growth and development has been completed. Generally, this occurs around age 16 for girls and age 18 for boys. At All in the Family Dental Care, we do a thorough analysis to determine if dental implants are right for the patient, especially in teens. If we feel their mouth isn’t mature enough yet for implants, we can advise them on proper steps until they are ready.
Who performs dental implant surgery?
Dental implant surgery is just that, surgery. Dental implant surgery needs to be performed by a trained oral surgeon or periodontist. We proudly offer both oral surgery and periodontal services right within our office. Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon has the specialized education and training in the complexities of the bone, skin, muscles and nerves involved to ensure you get the best possible results. A 2014 study suggests greater implant success rates when the procedure is performed by a specialist or surgeon, rather than a general dentist. Dr. Paul Galante is our trained oral and maxillofacial surgeon and is not only extremely accredited and accomplished in his 25+ year career, but has great knowledge and experience specifically with dental implants. He says his true passion is changing patient’s lives with dental implants. Learn more about Dr. Paul. Dr. Jeff Milone is our office Periodontist who also performs dental implant surgery. He joined All in the Family Dental Care to accommodate our patients who require both surgical and non-surgical Periodontal treatment. Call to schedule a free consultation with him to discuss dental implants.
How can dental implants improve quality of life?
Now for the million dollar question, how much do they cost?
You might be surprised how affordable dental implants are compared to other tooth replacement options, especially when you take into account long-term cost effectiveness and quality of life.
The total cost will always depend on several different factors, including how many teeth need replacing and where they are located, the number and type of implants, and whether any additional procedures are necessary to prepare your mouth for the implants.
Since dental implant treatments are customized for your specific needs, the costs vary accordingly. An evaluation by Dr. Paul Galante is the best way to ensure that you are getting an accurate cost estimate for quality work.
Many corporate dental offices promote ads for dental implants with low prices that seem too good to be true – well, you know what they say. And if you receive a quote for dental implants without being examined, please be cautious.
At first glance, dentures or removable bridges can appear much less expensive than dental implants, given their lower upfront costs. However, the full cost – both financial and emotional can run much higher. The initial price of bridges or dentures doesn’t include the cost of replacing them, which is necessary as often as every 5 to 15 years. It also doesn’t include the ongoing maintenance costs, such as fixatives and adhesives.
All in the Family Dental Care also offers financing and payment options to make dental implants even more affordable, so be sure to ask what plans are available during your evaluation.
Does insurance cover dental implants?
An increasing number of insurance companies have started to provide some coverage after recognizing the long-term benefits of dental implants over other tooth replacement options. If your company does not offer this coverage, ask if you can receive an allowance toward implants that is equal to the cost of a bridge or traditional dentures.
For over 85 years we have been caring for our patients and our community, and now we have expanded to become a multi-disciplinary practice. We now offer multiple specialty dental services, all under one roof. In addition to providing exceptional general dental care, we can offer our patients complete orthodontic services, periodontal services, and specialized oral surgery services. In this blog post, we’re going to take a deeper dive into each specialty service, as well as get to know the team of doctors that make All in the Family Dental Care the advanced practice that it is.
General dentistry is the most common form of dental care. By definition, we diagnose, treat, and manage overall oral healthcare needs including cleanings and exams, gum care, root canals, fillings, crowns, veneers, bridges, and preventative education. It’s recommended that our patients receive a routine exam at least twice per year for oral care maintenance. This includes the general cleaning and examination where the condition of your teeth and gums is evaluated. Dr. Jack Campi and Dr. Joe Campi specialize in general dentistry and are the dentists that you will see for your routine exams.
If your teeth are stained, discolored, worn, chipped, misaligned, misshapen, or have gaps, cosmetic dentistry can give you a better smile. A “smile makeover” improves the appearance of your smile through Veneers, Whitening, Bonding, Crowns, and Implants. Cosmetic treatments are not always required for oral health, but often are desired by patients to improve their smile and overall facial appearance. Depending on the procedure being performed, you may see any of our top doctors including Dr. Jack Campi, Dr. Joe Campi, Dr. Greg Campi, Dr. Paul Galante, or Dr. Jeff Milone.
The Orthodontic Wellness Center specializes in non-extraction and non-retraction orthodontics promoting facial balance, beauty, and airway health for a healthier you. All in the Family Dental Care offers all orthodontic treatment options including Damon Braces, Invisalign, SureSmile Orthotropics, ALF, Crozat, Oral Myofacial Therapy (OMT), GoPex and others. We also offer Sleep Apnea Screening to evaluate your airway health. Dr. Greg Campi is our orthodontist and will take amazing care of all your orthodontic needs.
Our Periodontal services treat all forms of gum disease that can lead to bone loss and gum recession around the teeth. We are experts in tooth removal, bone grafting, gum grafting and dental implant placement. Periodontology is the study of the hard and soft tissues that support your teeth and maintain their position in the jaw. The periodontium has some very important functions: it securely attaches the teeth to the jaws; it acts as a shock absorber during biting and chewing and therefore helps to prevent damage to the teeth from excessive forces. Dr. Jeff Milone is our Periodontist and will be the one to treat and of your needs.
Oral SurgeryOral surgery refers to any surgical procedure performed in or around your mouth and jaw, usually by an oral surgeon. Many times your dentist will have to send you to one, but we’re proud to offer oral surgery procedures within our office. Common oral surgery procedure include wisdom teeth removal, dental implants, and bone grafting. Dr. Paul Galante our oral surgeon has over 25 years of experience in many aspects of oral surgery, and his true passion is changing patient’s lives with dental implants. Dr. Galante strives to provide his patients with the ultimate dental experience and care.
Our suite of doctors have all been practicing for 20+ years and are known for their vast knowledge and experience as well as their personal, calm, and kind demeanors. They are leaders in the technology space offering the most advanced dental procedures and equipment in their field.
Being a family dental practice for over 85 years, we fully understand the importance of a healthy mouth, teeth, and gums. We continuously educate our patients on how to care for their teeth, and how to prevent future issues. Our patients often feel that as great as it is to have a healthy smile, it sometimes isn’t enough, they want a perfect smile with beautiful straight teeth in order to feel confident and proud of their smile.
As a multi disciplinary dental practice, we not only prevent and treat our patients through traditional dental services, but we are also a Preferred Partner with Invisalign and recently added Dr. Greg Campi to our practice who offers traditional orthodontic and Invisalign services.
Invisalign often comes with many questions. A lot of patients often think it’s too expensive, or they may not qualify, before even learning about it. We’re here today to answer your questions and hopefully encourage you or someone you know to take the leap and schedule a free Invisalign initial consultation.
Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment in the form of transparent, plastic, dental braces used to adjust and straighten teeth. Invisalign uses clear aligners that are made through a combination of 3-d computer imaging technology along with a certified dentists expertise. You typically wear each set of aligners for about two weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final desired position to resolve whatever issue it was that initially called for Invisalign treatment.
The Invisalign treatment plan is different for everyone, but usually takes between 9-15 months to complete. This average is also based on the patient sticking to the recommended guidelines of wearing the aligners at least 20-22 hours every single day, throughout the entirety of treatment. Any deviation from this can add time to the process. Depending on the severity of your prior dental needs, it may take longer to complete. During this time, you’ll see your dentist every 6 weeks to monitor progress and to ensure you’re on track for a perfect smile. Skipping appointments or not changing aligners when you’re scheduled to can undo progress.
Invisalign costs vary for every patient depending on their necessary treatment plan. Complete costs range from $3,000-$6,000. All in the Family Dental Care offers an option to pay for Invisalign in monthly installments rather than paying the entire cost up front.
Invisalign consultations are available at no cost for any patient that is looking to straighten their teeth and improve their smile. Other symptoms that may encourage Dr. Jack or Dr. Joe to recommend Invisalign would be: crowded teeth, over bite, underbite, crossbite, gaps in teeth, and open bites. Invisalign is well known and highly recommended to treat all of these dental issues.
Some insurance companies cover a portion of the Invisalign treatment, but every company and every case is different. Some cases have been known to have anywhere from $0 – $3,000 covered, with many cases having $1,000 – $1,500 covered. The best thing to do if you’re seriously considering Invisalign is to come in for a free consultation, learn about the product and what a treatment plan would look like for you. We can also work with you and your insurance company to see what your cost would be.
Anytime teeth need to be shifted or moved, there’s a possibility for discomfort. Most patients experience discomfort during the first few days of wearing the Invisalign aligners. When asked to describe the pain, patients have reported that the sensations are more relatable to pressure or tenderness rather than pain. Because Invisalign works with a series of different aligner trays, anytime you begin a new aligner, the discomfort may be present for the first 24-72 hours.
When comparing traditional braces and Invisalign, it’s really a tight race. Adults and teens who tend to be self-conscious might find the discrete look of Invisalign incredibly appealing, and its removability is also a big draw. However, it’s important to remember that the success of Invisalign depends almost entirely on the patient. If you don’t wear them as directed, they just won’t work. Whereas metal braces don’t give you the option of taking them on and off, which may allow for a more efficient result. The two main benefits of Invisalign are that the aligners are almost completely invisible, and that they are removable. They also tend to be more comfortable than traditional metal braces, since the aligners are made of a smooth plastic that won’t irritate the gums or cheeks the way some brackets and wires might. In conclusion, Invisalign is a highly efficient method for moving and correcting teeth.
Congratulations to all of our patients as well as the kids in the community for completing another year! Summer is here and we want to reward you for all of your hard work. Every week through the end of July, we are giving away TWO $15 Jenkinsons Gift Cards.
All you have to do is take a smiling selfie in our dental office, post it on Facebook or Instagram, tag us and include the hashtag #campismiles. It’s that easy.
Make sure you’re already following us on social media:
Facebook: @All in the Family Dental Care
If you’re not scheduled for the month of July and would like to book an appointment now, click here.
We look forward to announcing the winners and helping to make everyone’s Summers a bit more fun!
As a dental office that treats hundreds of emergency cases per year, it’s easy for us to see the importance of mouthguards in youth sports. Unfortunately many parents, and many sports organizations don’t necessarily see the see the need for them, require them, or even encourage them. Helmets, goggles, and knee pads are a no-brainer when it comes to protecting your kids’ in most sports. We’re taking the initiative to spread the word on the importance of mouthguards in youth sports in hopes to prevent future oral injuries
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), 1/3 of all dental emergencies are sports related, and more than 200,000 oral injuries are prevented each year by wearing a mouthguard and over Mouthguards help prevent chipped, broken, and knocked out teeth. They protect your child’s lips, tongue, face, and also help redistribute forces from a blow to the head. While a mouthguard won’t prevent a concussion, it can reduce the severity of the injury.
“My performance mouth piece has taking my training to a whole other level.”
— Val Barnaby of E.S.S.A Sports Training
The Under Armour Performance Mouthpiece is designed to give non-contact sports players an advantage on their opponents. Using Under Armour’s patented Power Wedges™ Technology, this mouthpiece reverses the performance-sapping effects of teeth clinching by optimally spacing the teeth and the jaw. The low-profile design delivers superior comfort and has minimal impact on your speech for effective player communication during the game. The UA mouthpiece helps improve strength, endurance and reaction time.
Experts recommend that mouthguards be worn by athletes in competitive and recreational sports in which impact, contact and collision are likely to occur. The American Dental Association recommends wearing custom mouthguards for the following sports: acrobats, basketball, boxing, field hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, roller hockey, rugby, shot putting, skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, and wrestling. Some dental experts include baseball and softball infielders on that list. It’s recommended that the mouthguard be worn during both practices and competitions/games.
Self-care is a topic we’ve been discussing and promoting quite a bit lately at All in the Family Dental Care. But what does self-care really mean? The true definition is the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being, health, and happiness. We love this definition. It’s a perfect explanation of everything we’ve been focusing on and encouraging our patients to do. Being proactive. Protecting your well-being. Protecting your health. Encouraging happiness. We live in a world that moves faster than most of us can keep up with, with the average person feeling stressed and/or overwhelmed in their day to day life. We need to do something about this.
All in the Family Dental Care recently hosted an event called Nourish You – Mind. Body. Soul. It was a day specifically for women to work on improving their daily lives in hopes to increase energy, positive mental thinking and overall quality of life. We discussed topics such as nutrition, meditation, mindfulness, and had an emotional deep dive that allowed everyone to really connect with their inner selves in order to clear their minds and take a necessary step back from the hustle and bustle of every day life. The event was a huge success with women leaving feeling rejuvenated, and centered with the world. Everything we could have hoped for and more. In the rest of this blog post we hope we can direct you on how to disconnect from the world, focus on your mindfulness, and the importance of your own self-care.
Chronic stress can destroy your health. Stress weakens our immune systems and inflames the body, making it more likely for us to get colds, have sleeping issues, gain weight, develop stomach ulcers, depression, diabetes and heart disease. These are all serious health issues, yet being “stressed out” isn’t something that many take seriously or work to prevent.
The changes and results that come from stress often go hand in hand with poor choices we make when at the end of our rope. Common reactions are zoning out in front of an electronic screen, bingeing junk food, alcohol, and drugs, all of which contribute negative effects on your body like obesity, poor sleep and ultimately, an unhappy existence.
Rather than giving in to poor decisions and habits in order to manage life’s stressors, we need to focus on treating ourselves with love, respect and kindness — but also discipline. This is where Nourish You advocates for self-care to prevent our patients from getting to this point.
We can start by taking a few minutes each day to “hit the pause button”. We all need activities that promote inner peace and calm, that allow us to unwind from stress and get in touch with our own personal needs. Below are suggestions for ways you can hit your own pause button and escape from reality for a few minutes each day. It may take some time to find what works best for you, but once you do, you’ll question why you weren’t doing this all along.
These stress-relieving practices quiet the mind, balance hormones, including cortisol (the stress hormone), lower blood pressure and improve brain health. For those with busy schedules, you may need to set an alarm or block out time on your calendar to ensure you really get to take this time for yourself.
Mindfulness is an incredible tool to help people understand, tolerate, and deal with their emotions in healthy ways. It helps us to alter our habitual responses by taking pause and choosing how we act. When we are mindful, we experience our life as we live it. We experience the world directly through our five senses. We taste the food we are eating. We recognize the thoughts we are having. In doing so, we learn how our minds work, and we are better able to label the thoughts and feelings we are having, instead of allowing them to overpower us and dictate our behavior. Because mindfulness presents an effective method to get to know oneself, to reduce stress, and to live in the present moment, cultivating mindfulness is a powerful practice.
When we practice mindfulness, we’re practicing the art of creating space for ourselves—space to think, space to breathe, space between ourselves and our reactions.
Eating transitions from a mindless practice of filling a void — both physical and emotional — to a pleasurable experience of tasting and enjoying food. Good nutrition is an important stress management tool. When our bodies are poorly fed, stress takes an even greater toll on our health. Nutrition and stress are interlinked and it’s important for us to focus on eating healthy in order to practice self-care. Here are some ways to eat well, reduce stress, and improve overall health.
It’s time to view self-care differently. After all, it is really just taking care of yourself — which is vital for health and well-being. Whether you are a mom or dad taking care of a family, or an independent person that has an important job that depends on them, people rely on you. You need to be the best version of yourself for YOU, and those around you will reap the benefits as well.
More specifically, self-care means identifying and meeting your needs, something we often struggle with. We tend to put others first – children, spouses, parents, friends, even pets. We feel obligated to be the caretakers. Shifting the balance from everyone-else-care to myself-care is uncharted territory for many of us and we can feel uncomfortable at first.
However, it is important to do so. If you don’t properly care for yourself, your body will let you know. Taking care of yourself is one of the most important things to do in life.
At All in the Family Dental Care, we truly hope you benefit from this blog post and that you’ll begin to put aside a few minutes everyday to focus on YOU. You, and everyone around you will benefit from this change and the positive effects are endless on your mind, body, and soul. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by calling our office 732-449-2228 or discussing this with Dr. Jack or Dr. Joe at your next appointment.
If you have a woman or mom in your life that could take advantage of hitting the pause button, consider treating her with our Mother’s Day Special.
DARK CHOCOLATE HEMP ENERGY BITES
Servings: 20
Ingredients
Instructions
Add dates to a food processor and pulse/mix until small bites remain or a ball forms. Scoop out and set aside.
Add walnuts to the food processor and pulse into a fine meal. Then add cacao powder, hemp seeds and sea salt. Pulse a few more times to combine. (Don’t overmix or the walnuts will turn into butter.)
Add the dates back in along with the almond butter and melted coconut oil (optional). Mix/pulse to combine. The result should be a moist dough-like mixture. If too wet, add a bit more cacao powder or hemp seeds.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Then scoop out rounded Tablespoon amounts (I like this scoop) and carefully form into balls. The dough will be somewhat fragile, so use the warmth of your hands to gently form/roll them into balls. There should be about 20 energy bites total (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
Roll in extra hemp seeds or cacao powder (optional).
Store leftovers in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month.
CHEF CATHY’S BUDDHA BOWL
Ingredients
Salad Base
Herbed Tahini Dressing
Instructions
For the salad: Arrange salad ingredients in “sections” in an oversized bowl.
For the herbed tahini dressing: Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
BANANA BREAD
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350⁰. Spray a 9×5×3 loaf pan with cooking spray.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Whisk the bananas, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla together in another bowl.
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together.
Transfer to a loaf pan and bake about 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. (Gluten free breads are better a little over-done than under-done).
1-BOWL CARROT APPLE MUFFINS
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
Prepare muffin tin with liners or lightly grease them.
To flax eggs, add mashed banana, agave or maple syrup, olive oil and whisk to combine.
Next add applesauce, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
Add almond milk and stir.
Add grated carrot and stir.
Add oats, almond meal, and gluten-free flour blend and stir.
Divide evenly among 12 muffin tins, filling them all the way up to the top, and top with crushed walnuts (optional).
Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Gluten free breads are better a little over-done than under-done).
Remove from oven and let set in the pan for 15 minutes. Then flip on their sides still in the pan to let cool completely.
Once cooled, store in a covered container or bag at room temp to keep fresh. Freeze after that to keep fresh.
Oral cancer is something that is always discussed within the walls of our office. We screen, monitor, and take all preventative measures possible to ensure that our patients stay healthy and don’t become affected by something as serious as oral cancer. Although it’s often a topic of conversation at All in the Family Dental Care, that unfortunately doesn’t mean the rest of the world is aware of the horrible disease. We make sure to send out messages to our patients and encourage sharing that information throughout the month of April, which is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Most people don’t know the symptoms and many people consider oral cancer to be a rare disease. That isn’t quite the case.
Oral Cancer or Mouth Cancers will be newly diagnosed in about 132 new individuals each day in the US alone, and a person dies from oral cancer every hour of every day. – The Oral Cancer Foundation
Similar to lung cancer, many people think that oral cancer is caused by smoking or other toxic oral habits. Again, that isn’t quite the case. Someone close to our office and family was kind enough to share a few words with our patients and followers about how oral cancer changed her life.
“My mother never smoked a day in her life.
Oral Cancer isn’t only caused by smoking. She was 32 when she was first diagnosed, and after 19 years in remission she had to fight it again. My mother underwent surgery to remove most of her palate, and had multiple reconstructive surgeries to help restore her quality of life. Back then there was little if any treatment for oral cancer, and not much knowledge in prevention.
Now, as a mother of 4, I make sure our Dentist knows our health history. I make a conscious effort to take care of my family’s health through annual screenings. The annual screening is easy, the dentist moves your mouth around and feels around your jaw for any abnormalities. He/she then looks through a special scope that takes about a minute.
Prevention is a state of mind. You have to ask, “How can I help myself and what can I do for my health?” You have to be an advocate for your own health! You can create the healthy life you want through education and choosing healthy lifestyle habits. I did that by becoming a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Educating my children about nutrition and prevention is part of our families culture.
I am so grateful that I can lead a healthy lifestyle because of education in prevention, oral screenings and the support of my dentist. It gives me peace of mind!”
– Theresa
Sometimes it takes hearing an emotional/personal story to understand the real impact that diseases can have on a family. Sometimes it takes a blog post like this to inform you of the basic information you need to know in order to protect yourself and the ones you love. We’re going to include below the symptoms and warning signs of oral cancer, cover what typical treatment looks like, and finally, how you can take preventative actions in your life against the disease.
Mouth cancers form when cells on the lips or in the mouth develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell’s DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. The mutations changes tell the cells to continue growing and dividing when healthy cells would die. The accumulating abnormal mouth cancer cells can form a tumor. With time they may spread inside the mouth and on to other areas of the head and neck or other parts of the body.
Mouth cancers most commonly begin in the flat, thin cells (squamous cells) that line your lips and the inside of your mouth. Most oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
It’s not clear what causes the mutations in squamous cells that lead to mouth cancer. But doctors have identified factors that may increase the risk of mouth cancer.
Currently, the most effective way to control oral cancer is to combine an early diagnosis followed by a timely and appropriate treatment. The vast majority of oral cancers will be diagnosed from identifying lesions or sores within the mouth.
Once a diagnosis has been made and the cancer has been staged, treatment will usually begin very quickly after. Oral cancer treatment can be very complex involving the efforts of surgeons, radiation oncologists, chemotherapy oncologists, dental practitioners, nutritionists, and rehabilitation and restorative specialists. The actual treatment is usually made up of surgery and radiation, with chemotherapy added to decrease the possibility of the cancer spreading to new locations.
A very common assumption is that oral and mouth cancers are caused by excessive smoking and drinking. While both of those can be major contributing factors, that isn’t always the case. 1 in 4 cases have no risk factors at all. There are many ways that you can be proactive in avoiding oral cancer. All of them involve taking care of yourself and putting your health first. Examples of ways you can prevent oral cancer are:
