Category Archives: Oral Health

Get Your Oral Cancer Screening – April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on April 10, 2018

Don’t wait until April, Get Your Oral Cancer Screening Today!

During April oral health professionals and those affected by oral cancer work diligently to advocate for education and prevention; as its Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Although this month is especially important in educating individuals on what oral cancer looks like and the available preventative steps that can lower risk, it’s vital that people monitor their oral health year-round.

Oral cancer can affect anyone, making it critical that you know what warning signs and symptoms point to the early stages of various types of oral cancer.

Oral Cancer Screening: Are There Detectable Early Signs of Oral Cancer?

There are a variety of different warning signs and early-stage symptoms associated with oral cancer. However, it’s important to note that oral cancer is a broad term for a wider range of cancer that occurs in the mouth. The common types of oral cancer include:

Sinus cancer
Throat cancer
Lip cancer
Tongue cancer
Cancer in the cheeks
Cancer in the hard and soft palates of the mouth

With regular oral cancer screening appointments, there are significant symptoms of oral cancer that can be detected by your oral health professional.

These warning signs and symptoms include:

Oral bleeding in any area of the mouth.
Irregular bumps or rough patches on the lips or inside the oral cavity.
A loss of sensation or persistent numbness on the tongue, neck, face, or mouth.
Difficulty chewing, swallowing, talking, or moving the jaw in any fashion.
A recurring sore throat.
Patches or areas of the mouth that are discolored.

Oral Cancer Screening: What Causes Oral Cancer?

Education is key and we like to take advantage of the additional emphasis that April has to focus on Oral Cancer Awareness Month, so let’s discuss the causes. There are many reasons that oral cancer can develop in a person, but there are some factors that can increase your risk of developing oral cancer. Along with many other harmful diseases, tobacco use can negatively impact your health, including in your mouth. Regular and heavy alcohol consumption is another factor associated with an increased risk of oral cancer.

Poor diet, HIV infection, UV rays, and poor oral hygiene also negatively impact your health and increase your risk of developing oral cancer.

Oral Cancer Screening: What Can Be Done to Prevent Oral Cancer?

Your best bet in catching oral cancer during its early stages is with a regular oral cancer screening performed by a trusted oral health professional, like Dr. Gary Skrobanek and his expert team at GPS Dental in San Antonio. They have the knowledge and experience to identify potential symptoms of various types of oral cancer and can connect you with the medical services you need.

In addition to an oral cancer screening during each of your dental appointments from Dr. Skrobanek, you can complete self-directed oral inspections. Inspect your mouth monthly for the warning signs listed above. For a more complete and thorough inspection, you can use a small light and mirror to see otherwise blocked areas. Upon finding anything suspicious, immediately contact your oral health professional.

Dentists and doctors alike will also recommend that people cut out tobacco use completely, as it is known to impact your overall health negatively. At GPS Dental, we’re dedicated to helping our patients maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy life. To schedule your oral cancer screening, contact us today.

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek is a dental implant dentist and his experienced, friendly team at GPS Dental offer affordable family dentistry and gentle dental care in the San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at (210) 633-3477 to make an appointment.

Dental Health Services for Your Children

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on February 20, 2018

dental-health-services

Help your children “Defeat Monster Mouth”!!

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and the American Dental Association is asking people to “Defeat Monster Mouth.” At GPS Dental, we strive to work with our little patients and educate them and their families by offering dental health services for all ages.

National Children’s Dental Health Month is an annual month-long health focus that brings together teachers, dental professionals and health care providers to work with children and their caregivers to promote the benefits of good oral health. Offering dental health services and helping children develop healthy dental habits at an early age are important to Dr. Gary Skrobanek. Visiting GPS Dental for regular dental appointments will help get them started down the path for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

We wanted to highlight this year’s ADA slogan, “Defeat Monster Mouth” because it can help children make an association with keeping their mouth, teeth and gums healthy. We’ve included one of the posters that feature the McGrinn Twins, Flossy and Buck, Den Smiley and K-9, the dog. They are fighting to defeat “Plaqster the Monster” to win the battle of good oral health! Notice that the poster demonstrates effective ways to defeat monster mouth and maintain good oral health by brushing and flossing!

Dental Health Services: Let’s talk about healthy habits

These five steps will help you remember how to care for your mouth, teeth and gums and are super easy:

Brushing:

Even though everyone knows that brushing your teeth is a key component of their overall dental health. But, some are not aware of the correct way to brush their teeth.

Here’s a quick reminder of the correct way to brush:

Select a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove plaque
Spend at least two minutes twice a day brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste
Be thorough and make sure to tilt your toothbrush a 45-degree angle to clean both the inner and outer surfaces of your teeth, as well as the chewing surfaces.
Use short, precise strokes in a back-and-forth motion and be gentle
Brush your tongue, it’s important to your overall oral hygiene and will help keep your breath fresh.
Pro Tip: Sometimes setting a timer or playing a favorite song or video that lasts at least two minutes is an easy way to get this young habit started!

Here’s a quick video your kiddos will like: No More Nasties, Brushing for Kids

Flossing:

Make sure you’re cleaning between your teeth each day; otherwise, you’re not cleaning 40% of your teeth’s surfaces. Bedtime is usually the best time to floss, so you can make sure all those food particles have been cleared away from those hard to reach places and don’t start to leave decay.

According to the ADA, here’s a quick, easy 1-2-3 reminder of how to floss your teeth:

Pull 18 to 24 inches of dental floss from the floss dispenser.
Wrap the ends of the floss around your index and middle fingers.
Hold the floss tightly around each tooth in a C shape; move the floss back and forth in a push-pull motion and up and down against the side of each tooth.

Here’s a quick video: How to Floss

Spit:

Have you heard that it’s better for the enamel on your teeth to spit your toothpaste out after you brush, but not rinse your mouth with water? Why? Because rinsing your mouth will wash away your toothpaste’s protective fluoride that you want to leave behind when you brush your teeth, so it continues to be effective. Not only does it strengthen the enamel on your teeth, it also reduces the amount of acid that the bacteria on your teeth produce. This will help reduce cavities.

Eating Healthy Snacks:

Pick healthy snacks, like fruits and veggies. Steer clear of those sugary treats and remember that the worst culprits are the chewy, sour / sweet candies that kids love.

More information about Why Candy is Bad for Your Teeth

Dental Appointments:

Remember to visit Dr. Skrobanek at GPS Dental twice each year for your oral exam and cleaning! Our dental health services for children include X-rays, professional cleanings, dental sealants, and treatment for cavities.

Here are a couple of activities that you can print out for your kiddos:

Now you can understand why the expert team at GPS Dental is so focused on the dental health services they offer and helping their little patients develop healthy dental habits. We want kiddos to have a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums!

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek and his experienced, friendly team at GPS Dental offer affordable family dentistry and gentle dental care in the San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at (210) 633-3477 to make an appointment.

How are Diabetes and Oral Health Related?

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on February 13, 2018

Diabetes and Oral Health

As you probably already know, there are many people who suffer from the condition known as diabetes. What you might not know is that approximately 9.3 percent of people in the United States alone have been diagnosed with or suffer from some form of diabetes. However, 1 in 4 suffers are still not aware of their condition and are not receiving the treatment they need. Nor do most people realize how diabetes and oral health are connected.

With such astronomical numbers, chances are likely that you’ve either met or know someone personally who suffers from diabetes, and therefore have at least some understanding of what living with diabetes is like. However, understanding the full extent of living with this disease and the challenges a diabetic must face is another thing entirely. From following a strict diet, to altering one’s daily activity routine, managing such issues are certainly very very important.

Nevertheless, one issue that always remains paramount in successfully managing diabetes and oral health, as failure to maintain one’s oral health can stir up a hornet’s nest of problems that are almost certainly guaranteed to result in disastrous or potentially fatal consequences.

Diabetes and Oral Health: Periodontal Disease is a Diabetic’s Nightmare

When assessing a person’s overall health, oral health is perhaps one of the most overlooked. Often times it’s the rarely-acknowledged aspects that can play a major role in many serious health problems that a person may be experiencing. While most of us have surely forgotten to brush our teeth on one occasion or another, all too often when we do brush we simply scrub for a moment or two, then spit and continue to go about our day. Certainly, this is an easy habit to get into, but if this continues long enough you may find yourself facing several oral heath issues, including that of periodontal disease.

Whether commonly known as periodontal disease, periodontitis, perio or simply gum disease, this condition is commonly thought of as something of a nuisance that merely discolors your teeth or gives you bad breath. This however is a gross misconception, as truthfully periodontal disease is a progressive infection that begins in the gums surrounding your teeth, and eventually spreads throughout the mouth causing major inflammation and damage to everything it reaches. In some of the more severe cases, gum disease has been known to almost entirely destroy a sufferer’s jawbone, or even spread into other regions of body, thereby triggering additional illnesses or interacting with preexisting ones.

Related Article: Bad Teeth? You May Need Perio Treatment

Diabetes and Oral Health: Signs and Symptoms

While the symptoms of diabetes are certainly notable, as it affects nearly all aspects of your health; however, if left unchecked and it may likely begin interacting with and affecting your oral health almost immediately. Therefore, some of the telltale signs of this internal interaction are, but are not limited to:

Swollen or bleeding gums
Frequent bouts of thirst and or dry mouth
Prolonged or slow-healing sores or wounds
Difficulty tasting certain foods
Increased susceptibility to additional oral infections or complications

Diabetes and Oral Health: Five Steps To A Healthier Future

Although the sometimes-toxic relationship between diabetes and oral health care can be extremely devastating if untreated, there are ways to reduce or even prevent any further damage from occurring. However, please keep in mind that that doing so will require making it a routine requirement to manage your blood glucose level, while simultaneously practicing the proper oral hygiene required.

Always remember to brush and floss: While this may seem rather obvious, it’s important to remember that consistency is without doubt, one of the key aspects in successful maintenance of any sort, and your teeth are certainly no exception! Therefore, taking time to both brush and floss everyday is a mandatory first step; remember sometimes it is the simple things that matter most!
Use proper technique: Again, this may seem obvious, but its very important to stress how proper technique can play a major factor in oral health. Because it’s so routine, many people brush their teeth without even giving it a second thought. Yes, it IS an easy habit to get into, but by taking a few extra minuets daily to thoroughly brush ALL your teeth, and then floss them afterwards can really make a big difference! Also remember brushing at least three times a day will give you the best results, when it comes to brushing, three is the magic number.
Schedule routine dental appointments: To properly maintain both oral and general health, its imperative that you schedule routine checkups with Dr. Skrobanek at GPS Dental. Generally, most dentists recommend that you make at least two appointments per year; however, as mentioned earlier diabetics are always at an increased risk of developing periodontal disease, and additional appointments might be necessary.
Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly: While certainly sticking to a healthy diet and exercising is a great idea for anyone, when managing diabetes, it becomes just that much more important. Whether signing up for a gym membership, or just taking the time once a day to walk or jog, finding a way to stay active is the key to not only healthier life, bur a happier one too!
Don’t Smoke: It’s no secret by now that smoking is bad for you. As smoking can certainly put you at risk for gum disease and additional complications with diabetes. If you are unable to quit and need help, contact your doctor or other credible organizations for assistance; for example: The American Lung Association and The American Cancer Society.

Diabetes and Oral Health: Fear Not!

Although diabetes can be worrisome issue, and can create very serious repercussions if left untreated, the purpose of this information is not to scare you. But rather to inform you of the potential health hazards of untreated diabetes, particularly that of gum disease and its often-dangerous relationship with diabetes and oral health. Just remember that there are many methods to successfully managing this issue and numerous sources are available to help you. If you have further questions or concerns, please contact us at GPS Dental!

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