Oral Cancer and Alcohol

We provide oral cancer screenings at Dr. Joseph Dallessandro’s Upper East Side dental office and are a vital part of the care teams of oral cancer patients. As part of our prevention efforts, we want to publicize a new study by the American Society of Clinical Oncology which found alcohol to be one of the causes of oral cancer.

That may not sound like a new discovery since alcohol in combination with smoking was already known to be a risk factor, but the new study was unusual for looking at alcohol in isolation. It found that new cancer cases, including oral cancer, can be attributed to alcohol about 5% of the time. Although heavy drinking created a greater risk, the type of alcohol consumed was apparently irrelevant and drinking lightly or in moderation also presented a risk.

It is still unclear how alcohol causes mouth cancer, specifically. Scientists hypothesize that alcohol breaks down soft tissues in the mouth, which then have to rebuild, with a risk of forming cancerous material each time. But one thing which is clear from the research is that when people stop drinking, their risk of developing oral cancer decreases.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit Joseph Dallessandro and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Winter Lip Care

In the middle of this particularly frigid winter, we at Dr. Joseph Dallessandro’s Upper East Side dental office want to ensure that our patients understand how to protect their lips from chapping. Cold air is unable to retain much moisture, making this a dangerous time of year for soft oral tissues even indoors.

The use of humidifiers can help to increase the air’s moisture content. It is a good idea to keep them in any closed room where people spend long periods of time. However, it is not a good idea to take long, hot showers. Evaporation causes the lips and the rest of the skin to be left with less moisture than they had previously. For the same reason, it is unwise to lick the lips as a way of rehydrating them. Even worse would be tucking them under the teeth, which bruises them and could cause swelling.

People often ask about products, and it is a good idea to use lip balm to seal moisture. The downside is that fragrances and ingredients such as menthol can cause some people’s lips to become inflamed, so it is better to use fragrance-free balm and to switch immediately to a menthol-free stick if any irritation occurs.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit Joseph Dallessandro and fill out a contact sheet.

Mouth Ulcers

If you need help with a mouth ulcer, the Midtown office of Dr. Joseph Dallesandro is the place to go. Although ulcers usually clear up on their own in about a month, it is worth consulting with us to determine if the problem is being caused by a bad bite and if there’s any treatment we can provide for the symptoms.

The herpes simplex virus-1 is responsible for cold sores. It is easily transferable during an outbreak and most people already have it from sharing cups or straws in childhood. Although the cold sore does little serious harm, it is important for patients not to transmit any fluid from the sore to their eyes. We can provide antibiotics and topical painkillers, if necessary. Unlike cold sores, cankers are lesions that are large and white. It is unknown what causes them, but they tend to occur in teenagers suffering from stress and nutritional problems.

Ulcers resulting from the patient biting down on the soft tissue of their mouths will recur until the teeth’s alignment is corrected or whatever habit is causing the patient to bite their cheek or lip is broken. Bruxism, or nighttime tooth grinding, is one possible culprit.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72^nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit JosephDallessandroDDS.com, and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Loose Permanent Teeth

While many of us were excited to have loose teeth as children, the same is not true in adulthood. If a permanent tooth wiggles around, it’s in serious trouble, and patients should seek help from a dentist immediately.

Doctors classify long-term damage to the teeth as primary or occlusal trauma. Primary trauma is the result of damage from stress, as happens when a patient grinds their teeth at night. Secondary occlusal trauma is the result of severe periodontal disease. When the gums are severely infected, they, the roots of the teeth, and the jaw bone all lose tissue.

With a weakened jaw bone, other teeth are vulnerable to becoming loose, as well. Dentists must act quickly and the first thing that needs to be done is controlling the periodontal infection. Once the decay has been stopped it will probably be necessary to put the teeth in a splint for a time. Teeth that are severely compromised may need to be replaced with implants, which may also necessitate a jaw bone graft depending on how much tissue it has lost.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72^nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit JosephDallessandroDDS.com, and fill out a contact sheet.