Dr. Kevin Hicks DDS and the team at Hicks Family Dentistry are pleased to provide professional and caring dental services to their patients from Lititz PA and the surrounding communities. Our dental services include: adult, children's, cosmetic, family, general, implant, orthodontic, preventive and restorative dentistry.
You know your dentist is looking for cavities during regular check-ups, but you may not realize your dentist can check for cancer at the same time. It’s estimated that approximately 51,540 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer and cancers of the throat, tonsils and back of the tongue in 2018. Tobacco Whether you smoke it or chew it, tobacco use increases your risk dramatically. Smoking can cause oral cancer, as well as cancer in other parts of the body. Pipe smokers are also at a higher risk for developing cancer in their lips. Smokeless tobacco, like chew, can lead to many issues in your mouth, the most serious being cancer of the cheeks, gums, and lips.
Alcohol According to the American Cancer Society, 7 of 10 oral cancer patients are heavy drinkers. Heavy drinking, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is an average of two drinks a day or more for men and an average of more than one drink a day for women. If you are a heavy drinker and a heavy smoker, your chances of developing oral cancer increase significantly. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) The sexually transmitted disease is now associated with about 9,000 cases of head and neck cancer (specifically those occurring at the back of the tongue, in or around the tonsils) diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the CDC. People who are diagnosed with HPV-related head and neck cancer tend to be younger and nonsmokers. People with HPV-positive cancers have a lower risk of death or recurrence, even though these cancers are often diagnosed at a later stage because it develops in difficult-to-detect areas.
Trying to brush back teeth is a challenge even when we’re adults. Grooves can be deep and difficult for bristles to reach. This is particularly true for kids whose dexterity isn’t yet completely developed. This allows bacteria and acids to remain and trigger plaque formation, which will lead to decay. And once a tooth has decay, it is impaired permanently and will require a filling or a crown.
The use of dental sealants helps offset a child’s inability to brush correctly, shielding their teeth from damage. The procedure is harmless, painless, and takes just a few minutes to complete. After the tooth (or teeth) is cleansed and sterilized, a light coat of a white or clear, plastic sealant is painted on the tooth. Then a curing light is focused on the sealant to bond it into place. This requires no shots, drills, or the elimination of any tooth structure. Employing dental sealants is one of the best pre-emptive actions for both children and adolescents to preserve their natural teeth! Hicks Family Dentistry Kevin Hicks, DDS 756 Lititz Pike Lititz, PA 17543 (717) 625-0596 HicksFamilyDentistry.com
You know your dentist is looking for cavities during regular check-ups, but you may not realize your dentist can check for cancer at the same time. It’s estimated that approximately 51,540 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer and cancers of the throat, tonsils and back of the tongue in 2018. Regular visits to your dentist can help you detect such cancers early, and changing a few potentially harmful habits may help reduce your chances of developing them. Read on to find out the top risk factors. Gender Men are twice more likely to get oral cancer. The American Cancer Society attributes this to higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use by men, but says more men of a younger age are being diagnosed with HPV-related forms of oral cancer. Age Most people who are diagnosed with oral cancer are 55 or older, according to the American Cancer Society. HPV-related oral cancers, however, are often diagnosed in people who are younger.
We are excited to be one of the first practices in our area to utilize 3-D cone beam CT digital imaging technology. This advancement allows Dr. Hicks to see his patients’ anatomy in 3-D, instead of flat, two-dimensional images. Three-dimensional X-ray images are more precise than conventional film X-rays. They require less time to produce an image and subject a patient to far less radiation exposure. Using ultra cone beam images when diagnosing patients represents a tremendous advantage for evaluating treatment options, particularly important for implant placement and oral surgeries. Hicks Family Dentistry Kevin Hicks, DDS 756 Lititz Pike Lititz, PA 17543 (717) 625-0596 HicksFamilyDentistry.com
