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Oral cancer may not be something that you hear too often, but it is a severe illness that affects over 54,010 adults in the United States. Beautiful Smiles is the first line of defense in the fight to prevent oral cancer in those living in Gurnee (Park City, IL) and the surrounding Chicagoland area. Prevention of oral cancer and detecting it at an early stage is of crucial importance to our doctors and our patients. Luckily, when detected early, the 5-year survival rate for all people is 85%.

Avoid the Extreme Dangers of Oral Cancer

At Beautiful Smiles Dental, our number one goal is to inform patients about the risks that they have not only to their oral health but that of their entire body as well. That is why we want to educate our patients about the ways they can avoid the extreme dangers of oral cancer and the steps they can take to evade the hardship battle that comes with it. Keep reading to learn more about oral cancer and how you can save yourself and your family from a lifetime of suffering.

Are you Concerned About Oral Cancer? Get Checked in Gurnee Today!

Oral cancer screenings are the number one way to assess your oral health and ensure that you are not affected by this terrible illness. At Beautiful Smiles, we look for any signs of abnormal tissue. We typically see visual cues during our screenings such as:

Red and white bumps
Rough patches
Hard to explain position changes in the teeth
Hard lumps

Watching your Overall Intake of Alcohol

Enjoying a few beers or the occasional glass of wine isn’t going to be a severe risk factor to your oral health. However, those who consume alcohol regularly on a daily basis are at a heightened risk. While paired with smoking, alcohol the two are associated with approximately 75% of upper aerodigestive tract cancers. It’s critical to remember that most alcohols are filled with high amounts of sugar, something that not only poses a risk of you developing oral cancer but can also lead to tooth loss and gum disease. While you don’t cut the occasional drink completely out, watch out for over-consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Stay Away from Smoking, Including Electronic Cigarettes

The CDC calculates tobacco use generates 5 million deaths worldwide. While no product containing nicotine or tobacco is safe, the use of cigarettes, cigars and E-cigarettes have been one of the leading causes of oral cancer in the world. The chemicals used in these products directly change the cells in the mouth, leading to the development of oral cancer.

Overexposure to the Sun

Unknown to many, but taking in too much exposure to direct sunlight may put a patient at serious risk of developing oral cancer. Sunlight is the primary source of UV light. Therefore, cancers of the lip are more common in people who have outdoor jobs who are exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. If you work every single day outdoors or like to spend a lot of time at the beach, just like any other part of your body, make sure that you are protected at all times. This includes putting on the appropriate amount of sunscreen and wearing clothes that block the UV radiation, especially when partaking in activities outdoors.

What are the Signs & Symptoms of Oral Cancer?

Dr. Galvez – Your Locally Trusted Dentist in Park City, IL Wants to Let You Know…

When we hear about cancer, we usually think about other parts of the body and don’t think about the fact that our mouth can also be affected by this life-altering illness. We know getting screened for oral cancer seems scary, but it’s the only way that you can know for sure if you are at risk. As we mentioned above, early detection is critical to survival.

Our expert team of dental, oral health professionals in Gurnee (Park City, IL) highly recommend that anyone over the age of 20 gets screened for oral cancer every 2 or 3 years, while those over 40 get screened annually. Oral cancer includes the back of the throat and the mouth with a wide array of signs and symptoms. While checking for the signs is essential, the only way to honestly know if you are suffering from oral cancer is to visit a dental professional regularly. Some of the common signs of oral cancer include:

A mouth or lip sore that won’t go away.
A white, reddish, or black discoloration in the gums.
A growth or lump develops inside the mouth.
Mouth pain.
Loose teeth.
Difficult or painful swallowing or chewing, persisting for more than two weeks.
Persistent painful cough.
Unexplained weight loss.

When you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, contact Beautiful Smiles Dental Center immediately so we can perform a detailed diagnosis and provide you with a personalized treatment plan. The only way to avoid oral cancer is to listen to the advice and knowledge of your dentist.

Getting Treated for Oral Cancer By Dental Specialists in Gurnee & Park City, IL

When you are diagnosed with oral cancer, your dentist at Beautiful Smiles Dental Center will evaluate the stage in which it’s in. The treatment procedure will depend on the stage of oral cancer you are in, outlining the importance of just how vital constant screenings are. If diagnosed with oral cancer, our team will be by your side, doing whatever possible to ensure that you beat it with as much support as possible.

Contact Beautiful Smiles Dental Center to Schedule an Advanced Oral Cancer Screening & Examination

At Beautiful Smiles Dental Center, we genuinely care about the oral health of each of our patients and take the time to personally care for each of our dental patients, no matter their oral concerns or issues.

Come in today, get screened, and speak with Dr. Galvez about any dental or oral problems that you may have. Our highly-qualified dental team is always here for you!

Contact us today to ensure that your oral health is better than ever! Get directions, (HERE) to our oral screening clinic conveniently located in Gurnee – (Park City, IL).

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Dental Hygiene Awareness Month Deserves a Place on Your Calendar!

It’s time to replace that old toothbrush and restock your mouthwash because October is Dental Hygiene Awareness Month! This October is the perfect time to re-evaluate your dental hygiene regimen and give your teeth and gums a little extra attention. Dental Hygiene Month is for everyone – young and old – to celebrate the importance of a healthy smile and the role that dental hygienists play in keeping your teeth clean. How can you get involved in Dental Hygiene Awareness Month and why is it so important to spread awareness about great oral hygiene? Let’s find out…

What Do I Need to Know About Dental Hygiene Awareness Month?

National Dental Hygiene Month has been around since 2009, but don’t worry if you’re only just hearing about it, there’s never a bad time to improve your dental hygiene regimen!

The awareness month is the result of a partnership between the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA). The idea behind the month is to celebrate dental hygienists and raise awareness about oral hygiene, and in particular, the four daily habits to keep your teeth and gums healthy: brushing, flossing, rinsing, and chewing.

The campaign is both a reminder to look after your smile and a chance to learn more about the correct techniques for keeping your teeth clean, your gums healthy, and your breath fresh. Adults and children alike can get involved in Dental Hygiene Month and learn more about the importance of oral health.

The Best Oral Hygiene Habits for a Lifetime of Optimal Oral Health

The four components of excellent oral health form a foundation from which an entire lifetime of healthy teeth can develop. Preventive treatment can greatly reduce your risk of developing all-too-common dental problems, like cavities and gum disease, and help to keep your smile looking picture-perfect.

It couldn’t be any easier to introduce great oral hygiene practices into your daily routine. Here are the four daily habits that Oral Hygiene Awareness Month is all about:

Brushing

Brushing your teeth is one of the most important things for great oral health: it gets rid of plaque and reduces the risk of developing cavities and gum disease. You should be brushing your teeth twice a day, once after you’ve finished your breakfast and once before you go to bed. Each brushing session should last for two minutes and it’s important to use a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.

Learning the correct brushing technique is something you only need to do once to ensure that your teeth receive the most benefit from brushing.

Here are the five steps for effective brushing:

Position your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle towards the gums

Move the toothbrush in short strokes gently back and forth

Brush the outer and chewing surfaces of your teeth

Adjust your toothbrush to a vertical position and brush the inner surfaces with small strokes up and down

Finish by brushing your tongue to get rid of bacteria

Teeth Flossing

You should floss your teeth once a day, ideally before you go to bed. Flossing is crucial for cleaning parts of your mouth that your toothbrush can’t reach. When you floss, you remove plaque and small particles of food that get stuck between your teeth, which helps to lower the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. If you don’t remove plaque, over time it’ll harden and become tartar.

Mouth Rinsing

For good dental hygiene, mouthwash shouldn’t be used as an alternative to brushing or as an optional extra: you should use good mouthwash to rinse your mouth regularly after you brush and floss your teeth. Brushing and flossing target your teeth, while mouthwash gets rid of bacteria from other areas of your mouth. The mouthwash will help to prevent gum disease and keep your breath fresh.

Dental Hygiene Awareness Month is a celebration of the incredible work of dental hygienists and an essential reminder to keep up with the big four daily habits for good oral health. The month of October raises awareness about dental hygiene and regular checkups, not only as a reminder for you, but to promote dental hygiene for children – the earlier children learn how to care for their teeth, the better! Marking the month down on your calendar will help to bring oral hygiene to the forefront of your mind once a year and remind you of the importance of looking after your teeth and gums. It’s easy to forget about the importance of keeping your teeth and gums clean amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. However, the last thing you want is for your dental hygiene regimen to start slipping and open the door for cavities to start creeping in.

For more information regarding Dental Hygiene & Oral Health Care – Contact Beautiful Smiles Dental Center in Gurnee (Park City, IL)

Visiting your dentist regularly is crucial for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Your local dentist in Gurnee (Park City, IL) will check your mouth for signs of problems and give you advice about great dental hygiene techniques to implement at home. You’ll also be able to book professional dental cleaning, which will eliminate the plaque and tartar on your teeth and help to keep your beautiful smile in optimal condition. As well as, paying close attention to your cleaning regimen, this October is also a fantastic time to book an appointment for a dental checkup at Beautiful Smiles Dental Center; after-all, the month of October is all about celebrating dental hygiene and the work of dental hygienists! Contact Beautiful Smiles Dental Center in Gurnee, IL for more information regarding dental hygiene & oral health care.

Health Safety Tips from Dr. Galvez

Dr. Galvez is back with health safety tips on proper face masks use, hand washing methods, glove removal techniques & other ways to stay safe in your daily lives when you go out so that you don’t get contaminated & be protected.

Proper Hand Washing Techniques – Health Safety

Hand washing is a crucial part of staying safe and reducing the spread of Covid-19. It’s important to wash your hands regularly and especially before putting on a face mask. Many people wash their hands incorrectly, but once you know how to, the correct method is simple to follow. Here are Dr. Galvez’s ten steps for washing your hands properly:

Step One: Use your elbow to turn on the faucet and wet your hands.

Step Two: Apply one or two pumps of antibacterial soap.

Step Three: Rub your hands together, then open your fingers and rub between them.

Step Four: Wash your thumbs.

Step Five: Open your fingers and wash the back of your fingers and hands.

Step Six: Repeat the cleaning motions for roughly the amount of time it takes to sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice.

Step Seven (optional): If you have long nails, it can be beneficial to use a nail brush, as a lot of bacteria can build up beneath them. Run the brush repeatedly over your nails, being as thorough as possible.

Step Eight: Once your hands are really clean, rinse them with water.

Step Nine: Dry your hands with a paper or cloth towel.

Step Ten: After brushing, or if your skin feels dry, apply lotion. Lotion will help to stop your skin from cracking.

Proper Face Mask Usage

When contaminated saliva droplets come into contract with the eyes, nose, and mouth, it can cause the virus to spread from person to person. Due to this, it’s important to cover these areas when leaving home.

Just wearing a face mask isn’t enough – you need to wear it correctly!

Standard Face Mask:

Tie your hair back if you have long hair.
Check the mask for holes or damage.
Ensure that the metal bar is at the top.
Place the straps behind each ear.
Press down on the metal bar until it shows the shape of your nose
Make sure the bottom of the mask is covering your chin.

Respirator Mask:

Tie your hair back if you have long hair.
Put the mask under your chin and pull the loops over your head.
Position one loop near the top of your head and the second near the bottom.
Press the metal bar until it shows the shape of your nose.

Once you return home, remove the mask carefully, pulling it over the ears and away from your face by the straps. As the outside of the mask may be contaminated, be careful when removing it and throw it in the trash immediately.

While a mask protects the mouth and nose, it doesn’t do anything to protect your eyes. For better protection, wear glasses when outside your house. These can be prescription glasses, or glasses with fake lenses that you can purchase without a prescription.

In addition to wearing glasses and a face mask, going out with a cap or hoodie on will help to stop the virus attaching to your hair, and provide you with even more protection.

Making Your Own Face Mask

If you don’t own a face mask, then don’t worry! Dr. Galvez has an excellent method for making your own simple and effective face mask with just a bandana and three pieces of paper!

Fold the bandana into a triangle.
Place three pieces of paper (stacked) into the middle of the folded bandana.
Cover your mouth and nose with the bandana (with the tip of the triangle facing downwards).
Wrap the bandana around your head and bring the ends to the front.
Tie the ends of the bandana under your chin.
As before, wear a pair of glasses and a hoodie/cap when leaving the house.
Once you return home, dispose of the paper, and put your bandana in the wash straight away.

Good Clothes Hygiene – Health Safety

If you have to leave the house, then one of the most beneficial things you can do is keep a good distance from others and go out with a plan – if you’re going to the store, take a list!

Another great tip is to choose one room – like your garage or laundry room – to remove and store your clothes and mask when you get home; if you don’t have much space, you can use a box.

Once you return home, throw all your contaminated clothing items in the box, your laundry basket, or a bag if you do laundry elsewhere. This area is also ideal to store your shoes. Remember that everything you wear outside may be contaminated!

Glove Removal

Much like face masks, many people don’t understand how to use gloves correctly. It’s essential to remember that the outer surface of the glove could be contaminated, so always remove your gloves in the following way:

Flip your hands so your palms are facing.
Grab the top of each glove at the wrist.
Simultaneously pull the gloves down your hands.
Throw the gloves in the bin, being sure to only touch the inside.

Never touch your mouth or eat anything while wearing gloves!

Beautiful Smiles Dental Center – Open to Attend to Dental Emergencies by Appointment!

Dental Health & Safety is our Top Priority

We support the government’s initiative in fighting COVID-19 by implementing new protocols like limiting the number of patients that enter the building & allowing high-risk patients a special time for appointments. As always, we adhere and exceed all OSHA and CDC recommendations to ensure we provide you with the safest and most comfortable environment during your dental visits.

Fully benefit from our expert dental team – we want you to stay safe and be healthy! We are at your service when you need us most & look forward to your call. For dental emergencies in Gurnee, Waukegan, & the Park City IL area, contact Beautiful Smiles Dental Center today!

Top 10 Dental Care Tips

A date can be the perfect opportunity to create amazing memories with your significant other. To impress your date at the start of the night with a radiant smile and leave a lasting impression with a perfect goodnight kiss, we have the dental care tips you need.

Check out our top ten ways to show your teeth and gums some extra love and attention, for the perfect date this year:

1. Brush Your Teeth Thoroughly Every Morning and Evening.

Bad breath is the third wheel that you definitely don’t want tagging along on your date! For a bright smile and fresh breath, be sure to brush your teeth (including the gum line) twice a day to get rid of plaque. To avoid bad breath when you don’t have access to a toothbrush, steer clear of smelly foods, like garlic and onions.

2. Floss Every Day

Flossing is another essential for fresh breath and healthy teeth and gums, as it cleans areas of your mouth that your toothbrush can’t get to. When you regularly floss your teeth, you remove plaque, prevent tooth decay and ensure that your kisses are clean and fresh!

3. Freshen Your Breath with Gum or Mouthwash

Another top tip for date-ready breath is to rinse your mouth with an antimicrobial mouthwash or chew a piece of sugar-free gum. Both practices are brilliant for eliminating strong or unpleasant smells from food and stimulating saliva. Chewing sugar-free gum regularly can even reduce your chances of tooth decay.

4. Book a Professional Teeth Cleaning

Brushing, flossing, using mouthwash and chewing gum are all important parts of your daily dental hygiene routine, but for the best results ahead of the big day, it’s worth booking a professional cleaning. A professional cleaning is a real treat for your teeth; a hygienist will examine your mouth, remove plaque and tartar from your teeth and gum line, and perform a deep clean with amazing results.

5. Brighten Your Smile with Teeth Whitening Treatment

To really feel confident in your smile during your special date, consider professional teeth whitening. Teeth whitening is a highly effective way to make dull and discolored teeth radiant once more. You can turn back the clock on caffeine stains, discoloration from smoking and damage from poor oral hygiene to dazzle your date with a beautiful smile – all in a single session that lasts less than an hour!

6. Be Checked/Treated for Gum Disease

Did you know that around 64.7 million Americans have gum disease? Gum disease may not destroy your date, but it could put a dampener on your evening by affecting the look of your smile and the freshness of your breath. There are many great treatments for gum disease, like scaling and root planning, along with options for restorative treatments that’ll help you to improve your smile for the perfect date. Contact Beautiful Smiles Dental Center for advice about identifying and managing gum disease.

7. Get Your Cavities Treated

If you’re dreaming of sharing a romantic kiss with your significant other, you should get any cavities treated as soon as possible! Cavity-causing bacteria can quickly spread when you kiss and share utensils, so make sure to visit a dentist for treatment and maintain a good dental hygiene routine if you suspect that you have a cavity.

8. Visit Beautiful Smiles Dental Center Every Six Months

One of the best ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy is to visit your local dentist on a regular basis. Booking an appointment at Beautiful Smiles Dental Center in Gurnee, IL around every six months, or more frequently if you’re predisposed to gum disease or have fillings, dentures, crowns or bridges, is essential to keep a close eye on your dental health.

9. Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is essential for good health, including when it comes to the health of your teeth and gums. Water keeps your gums hydrated, protects and strengthens your teeth, stops your mouth getting dry and reduces your risk of developing bad breath. To avoid a potentially dry and smelly kiss at the end of your date, make sure you stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.

10. Stop Using Tobacco Products

Smoking is one of the most damaging habits for your teeth and gums. Not only does smoking stain your teeth and affect the freshness of your breath, but it increases your risk of developing dental diseases. For an experience to remember and better long-term dental health, giving up smoking is a great tip to take on board.

Smile, laugh, and live every day – to the fullest with confidence in your dental health, by booking a routine checkup at Beautiful Smiles Dental Center today!

As we age, we often interpret our body’s aches and pains as unavoidable consequences of getting older — however, if you detect cavity symptoms, there is still plenty you can do for your health.

According to the National Institutes of Health, cavities are the second-most prevalent health problem in the United States with over 3 million cases each year, being beaten out only by the common cold. They are often painful, worsen over time, and also quite preventable and treatable if you catch these cavity symptoms early in their development.

We may lose some things over time, but your oral health is not something you need to sacrifice.

How Cavities Form

Cavities, also called tooth decay or caries, are permanently damaged areas in the hard surface of your teeth that develop over time into tiny openings or holes. As your tooth enamel softens due to decay from the acids that are created when plaque bacteria break down sugars in your mouth, your tooth is left susceptible to further damage, which is when cavities form.

If left untreated, these plaque acids can continue to eat away at the next layer of the tooth, the dentin, and cause a root cavity that is both more painful and more complicated to fix.

As the Mayo Clinic observes, cavities may be caused by a number of factors, but the development of tooth decay follows the same process regardless of the cause. First, the consumption of excess sugars and starches, which, if not cleaned from the teeth, permit bacteria to feed on them to create dental plaque. This plaque then hardens on the teeth and begins to remove minerals from the tooth’s enamel, eating away into little holes, which is the first stage of cavities. Once the enamel is worn away, the bacteria and acid can continue to the dentin, which is connected to the nerve of the tooth, and even the inner tooth material, or the pulp, that contains nerves and blood vessels.

As the cavity develops, its damage multiplies, causing greater pain and longer-term damage with each day it goes untreated, making it especially important to catch cavity symptoms as early as possible.

Cavity Symptoms

Cavity Symptom #1: A Persistent Toothache

As a general rule, pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is going right; however, a lot of times we push through and ignore them. In the case of your teeth, to leave these persistent pains unaddressed is to ignore the most obvious cavity symptom, which will only lead to more problems — and greater pain.

“Pain is often a [cavity symptom], and pain can be in the gums below the tooth or the tooth itself,” explains Dr. Eric Klein. “Sometimes you have a sharp, acute pain or it may be a dull, throbbing pain, and both are signs of a cavity.”

Cavity Symptom #2: Pain While Chewing

To continue the emphasis on responding to pain, even if a toothache only occurs while chewing and doesn’t persist between meals, that is still a major cavity symptom to acknowledge and a sign that your teeth are in trouble.

Usually felt in a sharp, sudden jolt, pain while chewing is usually an indication that the tooth has a crack in it or because the tooth has a cavity, according to Dr. Klein, and may signal that the nerve in the tooth is even infected.

Cavity Symptoms #3: Discoloration

Thankfully, you don’t have to wait for your teeth to start hurting to catch a cavity symptom early. While cavities eventually appear as small holes in the enamel, some may begin by resembling stains on the surface of your tooth. Natural stains may blemish your smile from time to time, but black, brown, or white spots are usually the early signs of tooth decay.

If these stains feel soft or sticky to the touch, they are a likely cavity symptom and may soon cause the rest of the tooth to darken and eventually chip the enamel, as Colgate’s health professionals explain.

Cavity Symptoms #4: Holes In Teeth

Sometimes the obvious signs are the most overlooked, as is the case with cavity symptoms. As cavities are holes that develop in the enamel from mouth bacteria’s breakdown of plaque into acid, the most obvious cavity symptom to spot would be visible in your teeth.

Nonetheless, few people take the time to inspect their teeth, even while brushing or flossing, and therefore may not see the hole developing in the infected tooth. Always check your teeth for evident holes to catch the cavity symptom as soon as possible.

Cavity Symptom #5: Swelling Around The Tooth

As the Mayo Clinic notes, swelling may occur in the gums around the infected tooth as a cavity develops, especially if it has dug deep into the dentin or the pulp. Often, this swelling is barely perceptible to the eye and hardly painful to the touch, but a bit of discomfort may reveal that the gums are indeed swollen due to a cavity.

“If you have a really deep cavity, it makes the nerve sick or die, and that causes an infection in a nerve that causes swelling,” says Dr. Klein. “Some people feel swelling and it doesn’t even hurt, but that’s caused from the infection.”

Cavity Symptom #6: Sensitivity To Temperature

According to the American Dental Association, one in four adults has an untreated cavity, and virtually every adult will experience tooth decay at some point in their lives. One of the most common cavity symptoms to watch is sensitivity to temperatures, such as hot foods or cold drinks, that may trigger sudden pain or discomfort in the affected tooth.

“Every tooth has a nerve inside of it, and it also has a blood supply to help the tooth grow and function,” says Dr. Klein. “When a cavity gets larger and closer to that nerve, it can sense the change in temperature easier.”

Cavity Symptom #7: Bad Breath

Though a myriad of factors may cause bad breath, it may be more than a sign you’ve indulged in too much garlic during dinner — bad breath is one of the often overlooked cavity symptoms. As cavities are fundamentally small holes in the tooth, food particles and bacteria may easily sneak their way in there and be hard to evict with simple brushing techniques alone.

“A cavity is caused by acid and sugar breaking a hole in the enamel, and then bacteria can get in that hole,” says Dr. Klein. “Bacteria can cause odor and a bad taste in the mouth.”

Cavity Treatment

There is a range of treatments the professionals at Chicago Beautiful Smiles can provide to address your cavity symptoms, depending on the severity of the problem.

Sometimes, periodic fluoride treatments may be necessary to battle ongoing cavity symptoms, as you may not be receiving enough fluoride through sources such as fluoridated drinking water. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic recognizes antibacterial treatments as especially helpful for those whose medical history may make their teeth more susceptible to tooth decay.

If you’re experiencing more than one of these cavity symptoms, the best treatment will likely be a filling, which is when the decayed portion of the tooth is drilled away and replace with a strong filling of composite resins. Crowns and fillings may be required for more advanced cavities, but overall, fillings stop cavities from growing any larger.

At Beautiful Smiles Dental Center in Gurnee, IL, your smile is our priority, which often begins with addressing that first cavity symptom as soon as you notice it.