In 1890, at the start of his second term of office, President Grover Cleveland noticed a rough spot on his palate. A biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of cancer, and surgery was indicated. The Government wanted to keep the President’s health a secret because there was a financial crisis at the time, and they did not want the public to be alarmed.

So the surgery was done in secret while the President was aboard his friend’s yacht traveling up the East River in New York. The surgical team, including a dentist, was sworn to secrecy. Dr. Hasbrouck, a New York dentist, administered the anesthesia. Two teeth were extracted and part of the maxilla was removed. Dr Hasbrouck also constructed an appliance to close the defect caused by the surgery, and the President was able to make a planned address to Congress shortly thereafter.

The President lived for many more years without a recurrence of the oral cancer, and he died in 1908 of a heart attack. The government did not officially acknowledge Cleveland’s oral cancer until 1917. Dentists today, as in Cleveland’s day, play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer and post-surgical reconstruction. In my dental office I routinely check my patients for oral cancer. Early treatment of cancerous lesions saves countless lives each year. For more on oral cancer, visit my blog at http://drterryshapiro.com/blog/.

My East Setauket dental office now accepts CareCredit - offering low monthly payment options, no up-front costs and no pre-payment penalties so you can get the dentistry you need and want.  CareCredit can help you obtain dental services such as crowns, bridges, dentures, implants, veneers, and root canals.  We also offer financing through CitiBank and of course we accept all major credit cards.  So we not only offer quality, gentle dentistry – but affordable dentistry too.

In January, while listening to President Obama’s State of the Union address, I was startled when I heard him say “root canal.” He was speaking about the bank bailout and he said: “I hated it. You hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal.”

Now, as a dentist I am very sensitive about comments that place dentistry in an unfavorable light or that reinforce fears that people may have about dental treatment. So I was dismayed at the President’s choice of words. I was relieved to note that the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) was also dismayed and  issued the following statement: “While we certainly understand the president’s intent, people need to know that root canals don’t cause pain; they relieve it. Root canals may sound daunting, but endodontists can do this procedure quickly, efficiently, and with virtually no pain involved. The result is a restored natural tooth that can at a lifetime.”

I couldn’t have offered a better defense of the root canal! Root canal treatments save more than 17 million teeth every year. I wonder if the President offered an apology to the AAE!

What happened to the Removable Partial Denture? Now that implants are an integral part of modern dental treatment, have dentists discarded the removable partial denture (RPD)? All too often it seems that this is the case in a lot of dental offices. But I find that new patients often come into my East Setauket dental office looking for other less expensive options to replacing missing teeth. They have lost their back teeth and are unhappy with how they look and function.

Their previous dentist recommended implants and left it at that, without presenting other options. If the patient could not afford implants, the patient was left without a solution. Well, the removable partial denture is a solution for people who do not have the finances for implants. It can also be an interim solution until the patient has the financial means for implant placement.

Yes, there are limitations to the removable partial denture – it takes getting used to, some metal may be visible, the bone will continue to deteriorate. It’s not as good as implants - but is it better than nothing? You bet it is! For more information on types of removable partial dentures that we provide in our Long Island dental office see http://drterryshapiro.com/blog/?p=91.

Last week the warning was about denture adhesives; this week the warning is about denture cleansers! The Food and Drug Administration has alerted dental professionals to two safety problems that have occurred in patients who use denture cleansers.

One problem is the risk of allergic reactions to the cleansers. Symptoms may include gum tenderness, rash, difficulty breathing and low blood pressure. Another problem is possible misuse of the products. “Mouthwash” is mentioned as an ingredient in denture cleansers – perhaps confusing patients who may think they can rinse their mouths, gargle or swallow the cleanser. This can cause bleaching of the tissues, damage to the gums, vomiting, seizures and hypotension.

The FDA has requested that manufacturers of denture cleansers place a warning on their labeling about allergic reactions and is asking that the manufacturers investigate alternative ingredients.

Last March I wrote a blog article called “Denture Creams and Imbalance” about zinc-containing denture adhesives and possible neurological side effects if use of these adhesives is excessive. Well, today I received a notice from GlaxoSmithKline alerting dental professionals to “the potential health risk from long-term excessive use of GSK’s zinc-containing denture adhesives Super Poligrip ‘Original’, Super Poligrip ‘Ultra Fresh’, and Super Poligrip ‘Extra Care’”. GSK has “voluntarily stopped the manufacture, distribution and advertising of these products.”

Excessive levels of zinc from over-use of these products may lead to sensory disturbance, weakness and difficulty walking. There are zinc free alternative adhesives such as Super Poligrip ‘Free’, Super Poligrip ‘Comfort Seal Strips’, and Super Poligrip ‘Powder’. How amusing that every one of GSK’s products is labeled “Super”!

In general, patients use denture adhesives to support ill-fitting dentures. But they are not doing themselves a favor. Ill-fitting dentures cause bone loss and mucosal inflammation. You may need a denture reline, rebase or new dentures. Your bone resorbs over time and dentures do not last forever. Denture wearers are advised to come to our East Setauket dental office for regular examination visits.