Has It Been More Than a Year Since Your
Last Oral Health and Cancer Screening?
Did
you know that denture wearers should be screened annually for Oral
Cancer?
Did you know...
Ill fitting dentures can increase the possibility of oral
cancer and you should see a dentist at least once a
year for screening?
Ask
your dental doctor about the Vizi
Lite and Oral Cdx. They help detect any changes
in the tissue. This is to detect oral cancer before symptoms
occur.
Early treatment is critical. Unlike biopsies this
is done with just a mouth rinse and a special light. It
is totally painless and takes just a few minutes!
Annual Examination
At least once a year,
your should make an appointment with your dentist for a thorough
examination of your entire mouth. Such an examination provides
your dentist with an opportunity to correct any problems that may
have appeared due to natural and progressive changes in your oral
structures that can cause shifting of the dentures, undue pressure
on supporting ridges, or damage to oral structures and bony projections. This
step is crucial to maintaining correct alignment of your dentures
as well as good oral health and healthy ridges. At that
time, we also recommend an annual oral cancer screening. In
addition, regular professional cleaning and polishing will help
to prevent
disagreeable tastes and odors from forming on your dentures.
Oral Care
Each time you remove your
dentures for cleaning, some care and attention should be paid to
your gums and ridges. Using a clean finger, massage your gums,
both upper and lower, for a minute or two. This can also
be done with a clean, soft toothbrush. This serves to stimulate
blood flow to the area which helps promote healthy gums. You
can also rinse your mouth several times a day with warm salt
water
to help heal any chafing or rubbing caused by the dentures, both
new and old.
Most importantly, remove
your dentures each night or at least for a few hours a day to allow
the tissue and oral structures supporting the dentures to rest.
Just as you remove shoes, glasses or clothing when you go to bed,
so
should you remove your dentures. You were not
born with them and it is unhealthy to wear them all the time.
It has been proven that patients who never remove their dentures
have
a higher risk of oral cancer, an increased bacterial count in the
mouth and excessive damage to the tissue and ridges that result
in a loss of fit.
