This is something Awbrey Dental Group does several times a year with the Kemple Children’s Clinic to help those in need of dental care in our community.

Paddling the Deschutes River at Pole Pedal Paddle

The old adage states “With age comes wisdom” -

Well, in addition to wisdom, the reality is with age comes sore aching bodies, a cupboard full of prescribed medication, regular doctor’s visits, and in some circumstances the inability to thoroughly enjoy the physical activities you once did. With advances in technology and healthcare you would think we would have discovered the fountain of youth by now (which most likely would not be covered by health insurance).

All joking aside, major medical advances are being made daily and collaborations are being formed between both medical and dental fields.

Many of our patients at Awbrey Dental Group are often unaware of this connection and are excited to know that preventative dentistry can help improve their health, allowing them to get back to living that Central Oregon lifestyle we all love.

So, no matter what your age is, make sure you visit your dentist on a regular basis. There’s plenty of outdoor activities to do in Bend – take care of your mouth and get a chance to do them all!

If you’ve ever had oral sex you may be at risk for oral cancer. This disease was long thought to only be associated with habits of heavy smoking, chewing, or drinking alcohol, however the affected population is rapidly changing to include a much younger generation. At the root of all of this is a virus commonly referred to as HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). This virus has been known to cause cervical cancer in women and has now been linked to oral cancer in both men and women of all ages.

The great news is we now have the technology to detect and monitor HPV. The HPV test offered in our office is conducted by OralDNA and requires only a saliva sample. We also offer painless screenings using our VELscope, a technology that can help us detect cancerous cells in their early stages.

If you think you or someone you know may be at risk for oral cancer please call and schedule this life saving appointment today.

Chances are you don’t have oral cancer. But wouldn’t it be nice to be sure? Contact us for a FREE VELScope oral cancer screening.

The VELscope System allows us to detect potential problems earlier and provide the Central Oregon community with the best oral health care available. Call 541.383.0754 or visit us throughout the month of April for your complimentary screening.

From OralCancerFoundation.org:
Close to 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 36,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers which we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, and endocrine system cancers such as thyroid, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma). If you expand the definition of oral cancers to include cancer of the larynx, for which the risk factors are the same, the numbers of diagnosed cases grow to approximately 50,000 individuals, and 13,500 deaths per year in the US alone. Worldwide the problem is much greater, with over 640,000 new cases being found each year.

To learn more about VELScope, visit VELScope.com

To learn more about Oral cancer awaresness month, visit OralCancerFoundation.org

Dental sealants and fillings have been used for years to preserve and protect the long-term health of your teeth.

Dental Sealants provide a protective barrier on the surface of teeth filling in the cracks and grooves where cavities form. Sealants placed properly can last through childhood into adulthood giving patients a greater chance to avoid cavities while their homecare (tooth brushing/ flossing) may not be ideal.
When a patient develops a cavity, a filling is often needed to restore the tooth and prevent future deterioration due to decay. In previous years dentists used to place amalgam or mercury filled restorations.  

If you have any questions about your existing Amalgam (Silver), or BPA Free fillings, please call us at 541.383.0754 to make an appointment – we’d love to see you.

So eat up and drink up to a new year and a new you! We look forward to seeing you soon.

There is also a number of ways to apply or receive the long lasting benefits of fluoride.  One method common to other states excluding Oregon is the addition of fluoride to the water supply.  Everyone can benefit from an appropriate and safe amount of community water fluoridation. However, communities with limited access to dental care and children with developing teeth benefit the most from water fluoridation.  This due to a constant remineralization of weakened enamel and the incorporation of fluoride into how the permanent tooth is formed, making it extremely cavity resistant.  Don’t despair, for those of us no longer developing teeth (usually over the age of 12), your dentist or dental hygienist can apply topical fluoride during your next continuing care appointment.  Topical fluoride implies it is applied directly to the tooth structure and allowed to remineralize through direct contact.  This is usually done at the end of your continuing care or “cleaning” appointment to maximize absorption.

In the meantime many toothpastes, mouth rinses, and even floss include fluoride so brush, rinse, and floss away! We look forward to seeing you, our favorite patients very soon!

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what is making your gums tender and bleeding?  We have come to know that bleeding and sore gums can be attributed to gingivitis or periodontitis.  There can be a number of contributing factors but at the root (no pun intended) of all of this are bacteria.  Bacteria are known to cause infection (i.e., inflammation, bleeding).  Advances in medicine have lead to the use of antibiotics to cure and treat the most common to the most complex systemic infections.   The good news in all of this is that we are now able to test for the specific type of bacteria causing your sore and tender gums and treat this more appropriately than we have been able to previously. OralDNA (www.oralDNA.com) is a simple test that can provide us with a complete bacterial analysis to get your mouth and body healthy again.

For more information, call 541-383-0754 for your appointment to see how you may be candidate for OralDNA. 

Dr. Dunscombe

If you’ve been putting off a visit to the dentist because of dental fear or anxiety, you can now relax, Dr. Dunscombe is in.

As the newest member of our comprehensive dental care team, Dr. Dunscombe shares our dedication to high standards and patient respect. And with over 30 years of experience in Sedation Dentistry he will most certainly put your worries to rest.

Dr. Dunscombe’s skills are in oral surgery, IV Sedation, and Endodontic excellence with large blocks of time spent in Endodontic Education. Dr. Dunscombe spent many years in Knathology Study Clubs to enhance his skills in Restorative Dentistry – he also spent time in Cosmetic Dentistry Study Clubs, Gold Foil Study Clubs and in a General Practice in all aspects of General Dentistry; restoring Implants, Endodontics, Restorative, Prosthetic and Geriatric Dentistry.

Visit AwbreyDental.com for more information on Dr. Dunscombe and the rest of the Awbrey Dental Group team.

Dr. Peter Yonan at Project Connect

What makes Central Oregon so special to me is not just the beauty of our surroundings, but the commitment of our community to take care of those people in need; like Project Connect held this past Saturday at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds Expo Center.  Project Connect is based on a national best practice model originating in San Francisco in 2004, as a tool to effectively serve those who are experiencing homelessness.

In all, there were 600 volunteers and over 2600 underserved people accommodated.  In the mobile dental clinic we saw 319 people and treated 158 patients for urgent dental care needs.  It was a very fulfilling experience as all the people I treated were so grateful and appreciative for the services they received.

For more information, or to become a volunteer, please visit ProjectConnectCO.org.

Yours in Good Health,

Peter