Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is responsible for around 13,500 deaths in the United States every year. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, nearly one person every hour dies from this disease. Approximately 54,000 adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with oral cancer yearly. Of these, only 57% will still be alive in five years.

There are two types of tooth staining: intrinsic, which occurs below the enamel, and extrinsic, which occur on top.

Food, beverage, and lifestyle choices are often the primary causes of extrinsic stains with some of the biggest culprits being:

• Coffee and tea
• Red wine
• Soda and sports drinks
• Dark foods and sauces

Inadequate oral hygiene can also cause extrinsic stains.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, giving us an opportunity to really reflect on the impact alcohol has on oral health.

At NYC Smile Design we have never been big proponents of over the counter mouthwashes since they contain alcohol as their main ingredient.

Black hole disease refers to the little spaces that appear between your teeth and gum exposing the root surfaces to decay. This problem appears in your gum tissue as a black hole, looking as if a poppy seed is stuck between your teeth. Like many things that start small, the black space can grow larger with time. Sometimes we see this problem after orthodontic treatment. The teeth are aligned nicely but, due to the anatomy of the teeth (they can be triangular or bulbous), a space exists above where the teeth contact one another, leaving a black hole instead of healthy pink gums.