Living in the affluent East Cobb area not only provides our young adults with many cultural and educational opportunities but also, unfortunately, easy access to drugs and alcohol, the use of which can wreak havoc on the teeth and gums (not to mention the brain and the rest of the body!) There are many drugs that can have such deleterious effects, but I’ll focus on three more common ones among teenagers: alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamine. [Read more…]
Oral Cancer….Are You At Risk?
Approximately 35,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, around 25 percent of those people will die of the disease. Although the use of tobacco and alcohol are risk factors in developing oral cancer, approximately 25% of oral cancer patients have no known risk factors. Therefore, it is imperative that everyone receive regular examinations of the oral and facial tissues. These examinations are typically done by a dentist as part of a regular dental visit. [Read more…]