to a every day, canadians die from oral …doc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/6230.pdf2 · december...
TRANSCRIPT
ORal hEalTh
What you can do to prevent oral diseases and cancers
EVERY DAY, CANADIANS DIE FROM ORAL CANCER
AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN
Kuper islandreaching out to isolated communities
the hpv riskA potential cause of oral cancer
December 2010
EVERY DAY, CANADIANS TO A
HEALTHY MOUTH
gUIDETHE
COMPLETE
AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN2 · december 2010
Oral cancer is a devastating disease that isn’t easily cured in the later stages— but it tends to fly under the radar. Visiting your dentist regularly for screening is your best defence against this deadly disease
“this is an underserved population and because of the high incidence of oral cancer... the impact of these screening clinics will be felt most here.”
We recommend
pAge 3
Q&A with Health Canada p. 4how healthy are canadian mouths?
The HPV risk p. 7the potential cancerous cause that flies under the radar.
Many people think their dental health isn’t connected to their general health. Yet, the mouth is part of the body.
An unhealthy mouth can impact nu-trition, cause pain, lead to infection and contribute to poor health in other parts of your body. Research now confirms a corre-lation between inflamed gums and infec-tion with other systemic diseases such as diabetes and respiratory pneumonia in ol-der adults.
Don’t wait until treatment is neededDentistry is focused on prevention, and having regular dental exams is the foundation of good oral health. Too often patients will not see a dentist until they are in pain. Many believe that because they brush their teeth, and perhaps floss on occasion, they are not at risk for de-veloping dental disease. In the absence of pain, they miss or neglect their dental exam. Often by the time you have dental pain, your problem is more serious than
if you had dealt with it earlier.Dental health is about more than teeth
and gums. Dentists are educated to exa-mine, diagnose and treat all aspects of the mouth including the lips, tongue, gums and tissues, teeth and supporting structu-res. During a dental examination a dentist will make sure any existing dental work is still okay, look for cavities, inflammation, gum disease, how the teeth are fitting to-gether, infections, irregularities or precan-cerous growths. Through x-rays the den-tist is able to get a better view of the bones and root structure of the teeth.
In addition to looking in your mouth, at the annual dental exam the dentist will gather information about your gene-ral health. Knowing your medical history, alcohol or tobacco use, diet and medica-tions are all important for the dentist to understand your level of risk for dental di-sease and related health issues. Dentists can also provide your family doctor with information on your oral health that can affect your general health—especially the early detection of oral cancers. For tho-
se over the age of 40, having regular den-tal exams can dramatically increase the chance of identifying oral cancers before symptoms appear. This can greatly impro-ve cancer treatment and survival outco-mes for the patient.
A customized approachEvery patient is different, therefore what is included in the dental exam may not always be the same. Factors such as age, oral health status, level of general health and lifestyle choi-ces may influence what is covered during the dental exam.
Dental health is a partnership bet-ween you and your dentist. Once your exam is completed, talk to your den-tist about their findings. As a patient you should not hesitate to ask ques-tions in order to understand what the dentist is looking for during the exam, and if any changes are needed to your dental hygiene routine, pro-fessional cleanings, or any preven-tive treatments. Inform your den-
tist of any factors that may impact your care such as medications you may be taking, diet or lifestyle chan-ges or other health related issues. By working with your dentist and ha-ving regular dental exams, patients can stop dental disease before it be-comes serious, and make informed decisions on any required treatment before it becomes urgent. Dental di-sease is not reversible. In dentistry an ounce of prevention is absolutely worth a pound of cure.
• The content in this report was not developed by the British Colum-bia Dental Association (BCDA). Un-less otherwise stated, the BCDA has not reviewed and does not endorse any articles or products appearing in this publication.
Prevention is key to dental health
Reaching out to the Downtown EastsideFighting against the rising rates of oral cancer through outreach.
orAl heAlth1st editioN, december 2010
Managing Director: Justin [email protected] Manager: Jackie mcdermott [email protected] Developer: david [email protected] Developer: Joshua [email protected]
responsible for this issue:Publisher: mark n. [email protected]: Penelope [email protected] Contributors: dr. Bob coles, Ken donahue, elianna Lev, dr. miriam rosin, dr. ron Smith, dr. Bruce Ward,Distributed within:Vancouver Sun, december- 2010This section was created by mediaplanetand did not involve The Vancouver Sun orits editorial departments.
mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high-quality editorial contentthat motivates them to act.
challEngEs
The face of dentistry is constantly changing
You may have been screened for oral can-cer by one of your health care providers, and not even have known it.
Think back to the last time you were in your dentist’s chair. Did the dental care provider pull out your tongue, look under it and around your mouth and feel along the sides of your neck? If so, then you may have been successfully screened for oral cancer, as your dentist looked for unusu-al lumps, bumps or other early signs of disease.
A little-known threatMany are not aware of the risk, but oral cancer is a devastating and often dead-ly disease that affects more and mo-re people each year. It is an under-stu-died cancer and thus not as often talked about as many other cancers, but it is a disease of surprising prevalence. More cases of cancer are found in the mouth and throat than in the cervix, for ex-ample. On average, only about 60 per-cent of people with oral cancer will sur-vive for five years or more after diagno-
sis. If caught early, patient survival rates can be relatively high; currently though, oral cancer is often identified late and is usually at an advanced stage by the time it is noticed by either patients or medi-cal professionals. By this point, the can-cer has often spread to other areas of the body and is very difficult to treat. Even if contained to the mouth, treatment of oral cancer may require the surgical removal of affected areas, which can be quite disfiguring and dramatically in-fluences how a person looks, eats and so-cializes. Radiation or chemotherapy tre-atments may also be required.
The good news, however, is that oral cancer is a preventable disease with av-oidable risk factors and can be identified early by health professionals. Use of to-bacco products and consumption of al-cohol are major risk factors for the de-velopment of oral cancer. Additionally, recent evidence has shown that the hu-man papilloma virus (HPV), the virus associated with cervical cancer, is also linked to a rising number of oral cancer cases and is especially prevalent among younger individuals with limited tobac-co or alcohol exposure. Therefore, do not be surprised if you are asked about any
or all of these risk factors at your next dental appointment.
Life-saving screeningsIncreasing numbers of dental care pro-viders now perform regular oral can-cer screenings on all adult patients. As critical members of the health system, these professionals have a unique opp-ortunity to detect early signs of oral can-cer since they look inside the mouth on a regular basis. Oral cancer screening is one aspect of how the role of the dental office in healthcare is expanding. In Bri-tish Columbia, dental care providers are currently working in partnership with researchers, pathologists, surgeons, and community groups on a wide array of projects that incorporate targeted out-reach to underserved populations, pro-vide clinical support for improved oral cancer screening and referral practices, promote awareness of emerging risk factors such as HPV, and develop new technology to improve treatment out-comes for the disease. Motivated by a shared purpose, these professional col-laborations demonstrate the future po-tential for pairing oral health services more closely with general healthcare.
Dr. Miriam Rosindirector, bc oral cancer prevention program and professor, simon Fraseruniversity.
Estimated new cases in 2010
■■ All Canadians: 3,400■■ Men: 2,200■■ Women: 1,150
Lifetime probability of developing oral cancer:
■■ Men: One in 72■■ Women: One in 149
oraL cancer STaTS
Dr. Bruce WarD
british columbia dental Association
AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN december 2010 · 3
InsPIRaTIOnTo counter Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside’s rising rate of oral cancer, the BC Cancer Agency’s Oral Cancer Preventative Program is reaching out.
Three years ago, Balvir Dhadda, 46-year-old mother of five had a persistent sore on her tongue.
Along with sensitivity when she drank water, she also had trouble ea-ting, and the sore looked different than others she often got. She saw her dentist and a number of specia-lists, with one saying that the worst case is that it could be oral cancer, but they didn’t think it could be, be-cause she didn’t have some of the traditional risk factors, such as long term tobacco and alcohol use.
A biopsy was performed to deter-
mine if the sore was benign or can-cerous. Within weeks of that proce-dure, Dhadda was indeed diagnosed with oral cancer. “When I heard this, I immediately thought that’s it…I’m going to die,” she remembers. Dhad-da had never heard of oral cancer, and was afraid to learn about its ne-gative outcomes. She also wanted to protect her children and didn’t want them to be scared, so she downplay-ed the potential impact. “Having oral cancer was isolating,” Dhadda says, “because there wasn’t a lot of awa-reness, and I didn’t know what the prognosis was, and what the survi-
val rate was.”
Long-lasting implicationsEven before doctors decided that they could surgically remove the cancer from her tongue, they weren’t sure if it would impair her speech, or if the cancer had spread. Fortuna-tely it hadn’t, and the surgery itself didn’t have any lasting physical im-pact.
“The challenge with oral cancer is it is difficult to detect early,” no-tes Dr. Michele Williams, the oral medicine specialist who diagnosed Dhadda. “But early detection is cri-
tical, because it saves lives.” Accor-ding to Williams, the treatment is more morbid when discovered in the latter stages of the disease, and the survival rate decreases signifi-cantly. The profile too is changing, as younger people are getting the di-sease, and many with pre-cancerous symptoms, such as mouth sores that don’t heal.
The earlier, the betterIn a move designed to aid in the iden-tification of symptoms in the early stages of the disease, resources have been created to help dentists with
oral cancer screening. “The dental community has an opportunity to make a real difference in helping to save lives,” says Williams.
“I was one of the lucky ones,” says Dhadda. “If I hadn’t been persis-tent about getting it checked out, I wouldn’t be alive today.” It’s a mes-sage she has for everyone—“don’t be complacent about your health, if your body is telling you something, tell your doctor or dentist.”
KeN DONOHue
an oral cancer survivor’s story
aiding oral health on the DTEsPlagued by drug and alcohol abuse, poverty, and mental ill-ness, Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is often referred to as Canada’s poorest neighborhood.
It is also here where a high rate of oral cancer has been detected. What started in 2004 as a pilot oral can-cer-screening clinic in the Downtown Eastside is now a permanent part of the BC Cancer Agency’s Oral Cancer Preven-tion Program. A few times a month, Dr. Catherine Poh, a clinician scientist stu-dying oral cancer, and her team, opera-te screening clinics in various locations throughout this community.
“This is an underserved population, and because of the high incidence of oral cancer in this particular communi-ty, the impact of these screening clinics will be felt most here,” says Poh. “And because of the high mortality from this form of the disease, early identifi cation is critical.” According to Poh, a recent re-port suggests the rate of oral cancer in the Downtown Eastside is one in 150. For the general population it is one in 10,000.
Below the radarOral cancer doesn’t have the same kind of awareness that other forms of cancer do. “Nobody thinks about cancer in the mouth,” says Darlene Tam, a Master’s student in Dentistry, who grew up in the Downtown Eastside, and now works at the screening clinic. “If people have sores in their mouth they usually just think it’s an ulcer.”
Given some of the contributing fac-tors that lead to oral cancer—alcohol, tobacco, and drug use—advocates feel this is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. “I was blind to the needs of the community when I was young, but working here really opened my eyes,” says Tam. “I grew up here, and I know that it’s diffi cult for many people to get themselves out of this neighborhood, and I often think that I could easily ha-ve been in their position. So, it makes me feel good knowing that our team is ma-king a diff erence in people’s lives.”
Available for those most in needOne of those that are served by the clinic is Keyvan Rouzbehnia, 58, ori-ginally from Iraq, who came to Ca-nada 14 years ago. Like many of the patients at the clinic, English isn’t Rouzbehnia’s first language. For-merly an accountant in Iraq, he has struggled to find work in Canada, and is estranged from his family. “I come to the screening clinic every six months,” he says in halting English. “It’s very good here, and so far everyth-ing is okay.”
Treatment for oral cancer depends on how far advanced the disease is. If the detection is done early, then surge-
ry may be an option, while chemothera-py and radiation treatments may also be necessary. In the latter stages of the di-sease, surgery often isn’t an option, and if detected late the survival rate is just 20 percent, where if treated early, survi-val is about 50 percent.
While many are quick to wri-
te off this marginalized communi-ty, Tam sees a diff erent side. “The pe-ople here are great,” she says. “They are friendly, polite, and they like to smile.”
HoW We made IT
KeN DONOHue
GIVING BACKDarlene Tam, originally from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, now gives back to her old community through the program.PHOTO: MALCOLM BAKER
HAVE A DENTAL CHECK-
UP EVERY SIX MONTHS
HAVE A
1TIP
AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN4 · december 2010
PROFEssIOnal InsIghT
QUeSTIon & anSWer
■■ Most people perceive good oral health to be what shape their teeth and gums are in, is that a problem?The key is to realize that teeth are not separate identities from the rest of the body. They are intrinsical-ly linked to nerves and blood vessels that run throughout your body. Typi-cally, we refer to the mouth as a win-dow to the body because that’s what is.
■■ What is Health Canada most focused on making sure Canadi-ans know about their oral health?We feel that if we can get people to un-derstand how their oral health has a major impact on their overall health, and get people practicing regular ha-bits to help their oral health, then we can get a better handle on oral diseases and cancers.
■■ What is the state of most Canadians’ oral health?We teamed with Statistics Canada recently to conduct the Canadian Health Measures Survey and found
that 95 percent of Canadian adults have either a history of dental di-sease, which would be shown by fil-lings, or currently have decaying teeth. This is almost 100 percent of the adult population of Canada.
■■ Over the past 20 years we’ve seen no improvement in stopping Canadians from contracting oral cancers, what needs to happen to change this?We have to have people more awa-re of oral cancers. More people die of oral cancers every year than skin cancer. There is also more people di-agnosed every year with oral cancer than stomach cancer, brain cancer or ovarian cancer. It’s something that needs more attention.
■■ What opportunities do dentists have to get patients thinking be-yond their gums and teeth?When someone is at the dental of-fice it’s a golden opportunity to ha-ve people feel like they are having everything in their mouth assessed. Obviously, if you have any questions or concerns you can say to the den-tist “so you’ve taken a look around my mouth, what did you see?” Pa-tients can also ask “besides the te-eth and gums, am I looking okay?” When it comes to oral cancers- the key is early detection.
Q&a with health canada: how healthy are canadian mouths?
The job of a dentist is not just about keeping teeth and gums healthy. These days, it’s also about saving lives.
More dentists across the province are performing additional oral health scre-enings to check for abnormalities that may lead to cancer.
Practitioners have always done sight checks for lesions, dis-colouration or en-larged lymphoid in the mouth, throat and neck, but new technology has made screenings for such irregularity much more accurate.
“It’s about making sure patients’ mouths are healthy, not just fi xing te-eth,” said Dr. Samson Ng, an oral patho-logist with clinics in Vancouver and Ab-botsford.
Scanning for signsA common tool being used more and more to help dentists with oral screen-ings is the optic light technology; origi-nally developed by the BC Cancer Agen-cy. It scans the inside of the patient’s mouth and dental cavities for signs of irregularities. If something suspicious is found, a brush test is administered. Si-
milar to a pap smear, which help check for abnormal cell growth in the cervix, the brush test gently swipes the suspici-ous area in the mouth to collect cells for further tests.
Vancouver dentist Dr. Ken Neuman said using the optic light helps catch things stirring in below the surface.
“It’s like shining a fl ashlight in the mouth to see all the things below the tis-sue that you can’t see visually,” he said.
The procedure is approximately $40, though many insurance plans cover the cost.
Prevention is the best survival tacticIn the last three years, the device has helped Dr. Neuman fi nd early cases of oral cancers in three separate patients. And early detection is the key to helping to save lives. Vancouver dentist Dr. Les-lie Gallon said most people don’t think of the mouth as an area prone to cancer.
“In the mouth it tends to be found la-ter, when people don’t have a very good survival rate,” she said. “The earlier you fi nd it, the better.”
Gallon hopes that screenings become a commonplace practice at the dentist
offi ce, just like pap smears are for many women.
“When the patient is looking and we’re looking, it improves our ability to see what’s there,” said Gallon.
eLIaNNa LeV
PREVENTATIVE CAREWhite Rock dentist Dr. Tim Barker conducts an oral screening on a patient using optic light technology.PHOTO: VELSCOPE
Want to catch oral cancer early? Open up
Despite being a deadly disease with a low survival rate, oral cancer is fl ying beneath the radar. Prevention is key to survival.
Dr. Peter Cooneychief dental offi cerhealth canada
PROFEssIOnal InsIghT
ASK YOUR DENTIST TO SCREEN FOR
ORAL CANCER
ASK YOUR
2TIP
Want to catch oral cancer early? Open up
AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN6 · december 2010
nEWs
We want your feedback!Check out our upcoming 2011 reports!February:Heart and StrokeEmerging MarketsTaxesSustainability March:Skin CancerFight for Women’s RightsImmigration
CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING
REPORTS!
For advertising inquiries contact: Josh Nagel: 604 676 [email protected]
don’T mISS
The key to fighting oral can-cer and dental disease is awa-reness, and that should begin just after you get comfy in the dentist’s chair.
Dental hygienists have always play-ed an integral role in helping patients maintain healthy teeth and gums, but they also play a major role in helping to detect the early stages of cancer.
Dr. Denise Laronde is a UBC professor and dental hygenist and works with the BC Cancer Agency. She says develo-ping a solid relationship with patients is a crucial fi rst step in helping. “In terms of prevention, you can do a lot of education with the patient,” Laronde explains.
On your sideVancouver Community College’s den-tal hygiene department head Lisa Su-peene describes the hygienist as a screener. They observe changes and do-cument them which is key in making sure nothing goes undetected. If so-mething suspicious is discovered the hygienist may need to refer the patient on to the dentist, which could lead to a biopsy. That can make a major diff e-rence in catching cancer early.
“We originally called (what we do) ‘taking a looksee,’ or ‘assessing tissue’. We never really labeled it as oral can-cer screening,” she says. “That’s becau-se in the early years, oral cancer cau-
sed panic. But now-a-days, with the pu-blic more informed, we label things for what they really are.”
BCCA and UBC’s Dr. Laronde also stresses the role hygienists can have when they are talking with patients and educating them in the chair. “They can ask things like if the patient is a smoker, how much alcohol they consu-me and they can educate them on quit-ting or explaining what poor habits are doing to the person’s oral health.”
Open up to communicationKathy Boyd is a certifi ed dental assistant who now helps promote programs like QuitNow, which is a government spon-sored initiative, aimed at getting people to give up tobacco products. Boyd says “talking about programs like QuitNow can have a greater impact when related to an individuals’ oral health.”
Sitting down and doing the oral can-cer assessment may take just a couple of minutes,” says VCC’s Supeene, “but the knowledge behind doing it, is con-siderable. It could be the difference between early intervention and chemo, or losing half your jaw.”
eLIaNNa LeV
dental hygienists: on your side
The Canadian Dental Associa-tion (CDA) encourages all Ca-nadians to maintain good oral health by visiting their dentist regularly.
Only your dentist has the training, skills and experience to identify conditions in your mouth that may not be visible to the untrained eye.
Your dentist can see cavities, defective fi llings, broken teeth, infection and other oral health problems. However if you disregard regular dental exams bigger problems may be left untreated, including oral cancer and gum disease. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, there have been an estimated 3400 new cases of oral cancer in Canada this year alone. Your dentist will examine the soft tissue in your mouth for any irregularities that may be early signs of oral cancer. When left undiagnosed, gum disease is one of the main reasons why adults lose their teeth. There is also an association between gum disease and heart disease. Warning signs of gum disease are easy to miss and sometimes you may not notice any signs until the disease becomes serious. Remember that regular visits to your dentist are a great way to prevent oral cancer and gum disease before they become too difficult to
treat. Everybody needs a regular professional
dental exam, including seniors. Canadians are keeping their teeth longer than ever before and the number of decayed and missing teeth increases with age. In addition, older adults that have a compromised immune system are more at risk of infection. However many seniors are not getting the regular dental care they need. Too often, seniors in long-term care (LTC) facilities don’t receive regular dental exams because they have limited access to dental offi ces and most LTC facilities do not have dental chairs or equipment. Unfortunately, these seniors are especially vulnerable to dental disease due to fragile immune systems, medications, illness and disability. CDA is currently advocating for the establishment of minimum standards of oral health care to improve the oral health of seniors in Canada.
There is a connection between your oral health and overall health, well-being and quality of life. The Canadian Dental Association recommends that everyone including older adults should maintain good oral health by visiting their dentist for regular dental exams.
Disclaimer: CDA has neither reviewed nor endorsed any of the other statements or products within this publication.
a healthy mouth, a healthy body
Most people Most people Most people want to quit want to quit want to quit smoking. To smoking. To smoking. To increase your increase your increase your
chances of chances of chances of quitting quitting quitting
successfully,successfully,successfully,click or call click or call click or call
QuitNow QuitNow QuitNow Services Services Services
which are free, which are free, which are free, evidence-evidence-evidence-
based services based services based services for British for British for British
Columbians.Columbians.Columbians.
“only your dentist has the training, skills and experience to identify conditions in your mouth that may not be visible to the untrained eye.”
Dr. Ron SmithpresidentcdA
AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN december 2010 · 7
Bringing dental care to communities in need
Health experts in BC are prepa-ring to get dentists onboard with the prevention and detection of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in patients as an increasing amount of research links oral cancer to the sexually transmit-ted infection.
Harmful habits like smoking and heavy drinking have commonly been recog-nized as the major risk factors for oral cancers. However, extensive research is being conducted into the link between HPV and cancers found in areas like the tonsils and base of the tongue, which appear to be increasing in number, par-ticularly among younger patients.
Since 2000, the BC Cancer Agency (BC-CA) documented the incline of HPV-re-
lated oral cancer cases in B.C. They found the number of cases has nearly doubled in men, from 30 to 60 cases a year.
And so, BCCA wants to connect with dentists across the province to teach them the warnings signs of the disease along with recommendations on how to start a dialogue with patients.
“We want to provide an overview of the role human papillomavirus in oral cancer to help the dental community when they’re caring for their patients,” said Dr. Michele Williams, with the BC-CA.
A younger demographicA high percentage of patients being di-agnosed with HPV-related oral cancer are of a younger demographic, which leads researchers to wonder if trends in
sexual behaviour are a factor. Some of these include an increase in sexual part-ners, unprotected sex practices and be-coming sexually active at a younger age
“Talking about (sexual health) in the dental community is not really a common thing that people do chair-side,” she said.
Once there is consensus on the link between HPV and oral cancer, strate-gies for early detection and treatment can be developed.
In his research, Dr. Joel Epstein of the University of Illinois found that HPV-related oral cancers found in the base of the tongue and ton-sils have a higher cure rate than those linked to tobacco and alco-hol, which are typically found in
the upper areas of the mouth and tongue.
“The cause of the risk factors effect the nature of the behaviour of the cancer and the curability once the cancer’s developed,” he said.
Williams is working with a panel of experts on creating evidence-based summary statements around the re-lationship between HPV and oral can-cer. The result, she hopes, will help dentists talk to their patients about this tricky topic and know what to look for when conducting an exam. The findings and recommendations are expected to be released in March.
REACHING WIDEUBC is bringing access to dental care to isolated communities.PHOTO: UBC
eLIaNNa LeV
Limiting your snacks and choosing alternatives such as
cheese, nuts or fruit is better for your body and your teeth than sweets. Drink water. It hydrates you and helps to wash away harm-ful, decay causing bacteria.
If you don’t floss you’re only cleaning two-thirds of your te-
eth. Brushing alone does not clean between your teeth. Trapped food can lead to cavities or gum disease. Floss your teeth once a day, prefe-rably at bedtime.
Even if you wear dentures, you still need to see a dentist. Den-
tists are doctors of the mouth and are able to diagnose and treat a va-riety of symptoms. During your dental visit, the dentist will exa-mine your mouth to monitor for disease, irregularities or infec-tions.
Brush longer, not harder. Brushing too hard can dama-
ge your gums. Brushing teeth with a soft toothbrush for two to th-ree minutes twice a day is more effective.
Non-smokers can develop oral cancers. While adults over the
age of 40 are at highest risk, oral cancer can affect anyone. With early detection, oral cancer has a high survival rate. See a dentist for a complete dental examination at least once a year and discuss any concerns you may have with your dentist.
Milk can help save a tooth. If a permanent or adult tooth is
completely knocked out, your den-tist may be able to put it back. As soon as possible, gently rinse the tooth (do not scrub) and try to in-sert it back in the opening. You can also put the tooth in a container of cold milk and immediately take it with you to your dentist.
Dry mouth can increase the risk of tooth decay. Dry mouth
results from a decrease of sali-va, which is essential in protec-ting teeth from tooth decay. So-me medications cause dry mouth. If you suffer from it, ensure that your dentist is aware of any medi-cations you may be taking and ask about products that can help keep your mouth moist.
In dental health, prevention is worth more than a pound of
cure. Just like your general health, your oral health needs change over time. A partnership with your den-tist can help prevent dental di-sease. Do your part: Limit sugar in your food and drinks; avoid to-bacco and limit alcohol; brush and floss daily; have your teeth clea-ned professionally as often as you need to—even after you retire; and visit your dentist at least once a year for a complete dental exam to maximize your dental and overall health.
don’T mISS!
nEWs
Dentists protect both the mouth and body
Is dentistry just about getting your teeth cleaned?
Do patients only go to their dentist when they are in pain? Are dentists merely looking after the health and aesthetics of teeth, or are they really “Doctors of the Mouth”? As the regu-latory body for dentists in BC, there
is no doubt that the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDS-BC) expects the latter to be true for dentists.
The oral cavity is the main por-tal to the rest of the body—toxins, infections, and other conditions in a patient’s mouth ultimately ac-cess the entire individual. As healt-hcare professionals, dentists are on the frontlines of patient care, able to screen for many diseases and illnes-ses including: gum disease (which is associated with cardiovascular problems), eating disorders, diabe-tes, smoking and oral cancer. In ma-
ny cases, a dentist is often the first, and possibly the only, health profes-sional who a patient consults on oral health issues.
A thorough approach to preventionThe College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. expects dentists to perform a thorough examination of the mouth; including teeth, gums, lips, tongue and throat on a regular ba-sis. Dentists are expected to take a proactive approach to discussions with patients about health concerns that affect not just the teeth, but the
entire body.
Stepping up screeningIn 2008, the DSBC partnered with the BC Cancer Agency to develop new guidelines for oral cancer scre-ening. Every dentist in the province received a copy of these new guideli-nes, and should routinely screen pa-tients over the age of 40 for signs of oral cancer.
Regular visits to your dentist are, without a doubt, a critical part of every person’s health maintenance. At CDSBC, we believe that patients should expect no less.
Dr. Bob Colespresident, college of dental surgeons of bc
a healthy mouth, a healthy body
Quick tips for oral health
courtesy of british columbia dental Association
hPV: a potential factor in oral cancer
For many, access to oral health care is a luxury. But an initiative by UBC’s Faculty of Dentistry is trying to change that.
This past summer, eight students and a support team traveled to Kuper Island, near Chemainus on Vancouver Island. The students were welcomed by the Pe-nelakut First Nation, and provided den-tal care and oral health education to the community.
“The most important lesson is to show the students that there is an opp-ortunity to reach out and give back to the less fortunate,” says Dr. Nielsen, who has been a dentist for 38 years, and one of the organizers of this project.
A community focusOne of those that participated was Kathryn Hunter, a third-year dentistry student. “I liked the idea of giving back to a community, where people don’t ha-ve access to oral care,” she says. “I didn’t know what to expect, because anyone wanting to visit the island needs per-mission from the Tribe, and I wondered if they wanted us to come, but the enti-re community was amazing. They were grateful for us being there.”
Working on the flyThe makeshift dental clinic, with equip-
ment sponsored by the Dental Mission Project Society, was set up in the school gymnasium. And while the students are used to working with dental chairs and bright overhead lights, they had to be fl exible and make do with patients sit-ting in regular chairs, which Hunter ad-mits wasn’t ideal, but workable.
During the three days they were on the island, the team saw about 80 re-sidents, many of who had never seen a dentist before. The biggest challenge was trying to see as many people as they could. So successful was this initiative that the Penelakut has invited the stu-dents back next July. And Nielsen is try-ing to arrange similar outreach care to other communities in BC.
KeN DONOHue
COMMUNITY SUPPORTKuper Island residents don’t often have access to dental care.PHOTO: MALCOLM BAKER
■■ Question: how can the oral health of those living in isolated communities be improved?
■■ Answer: With visits from pro-grams such as ubc’s Faculty of dentistry, students bring their skills where they’re needed most.
SHoWcaSe
FLOSS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY—BEFORE BED TIME IS BEST
AN iNdepeNdeNt sectioN by mediAplANet to the vANcouver suN
FLOSS AT LEAST
3TIP
