After an initial house call, The Blende Dental team coordinated with Sarah Marie’s primary care physician and the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) to maximize her safety. They also worked closely and interactively with Sarah’s daughter and her memory care unit to insure that all perspectives were incorporated into her care plan. She was treated successfully under light general anesthesia at CPMC.

Sarah Marie recovered very well from her procedure. The Blende Dental Group made a house call two weeks after her treatment to cement the permanent crowns. Consistent with all house call patients, The Blende Dental Group also made a referral to an essential part of their extended team, a mobile hygienist. This professional, a licensed RDHAP (a Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice), focuses on serving patients with special needs. Sarah Marie has visits from her RDHAP for maintenance cleanings every 3-4 months.

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An addiction is defined as a dependence on a substance or a type of behavior that is so strong  that stopping causes severe physical and mental reactions (or withdrawal).

Many addictions affect a person’s oral health. At The Blende Dental Group, we routinely treat patients with addictions ranging from methamphetamine use, popularly shortened to meth (eg. Crystal meth, crank, ecstasy) to bulimia and smoking.

The causes of poor oral health are as varied as the addiction. A person addicted to meth often suffers from rampant decay brought about by a combination of variables including dry mouth (xerostomia), extended periods of poor oral hygiene, frequent intake of high carbohydrate foods and/or beverages, tooth grinding and clenching.

An individual with bulimia may have loss of enamel, esthetic deterioration and tooth decay due to poor nutrition and the corrosive nature of stomach acids.

A smoker may suffer from an increased rate of plaque and tartar buildup, loss of bone within the jaw and increased risk of gum disease and oral cancer.

The Blende Dental Group specializes in working with patients who have special needs, including addictions. If you’d like schedule an appointment or speak with a Patient Care Coordinator, please contact us. Call our toll free number 1-800-575-3375.

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We offer the following emergency treatments:

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To contact us after hours, please call 1.877.HOUSE.07 (877.468.7307)

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When cancer is diagnosed and biopsied by a dentist, an oral  surgeon or an ENT surgeon, appropriate imaging will be done (CT scan, MRI, PET scan, etc.) to delineate the primary cancer and collateral lymph nodes. It is very important that head and neck cancer patients undergo a pre-radiation examination by an oral surgeon and a general dentist familiar with this condition prior to the initiation of XRT. This dental team can help prevent many of the extremely detrimental damaging effects of radiation on hard and soft tissue, especially the jaws and salivary glands.

Three types of treatment are considered for head and neck cancer patients: surgical excision, radiation treatment (XRT) chemotherapy, or any combination of these. If the cancer is extensive and/or distant metastases are present, surgical excision may not be the best option, and XRT/chemotherapy may be used as an alternative course of therapy. Radiation therapy that kills cancer cells often also damages collateral healthy cells, like osteoclasts of the jawbone and salivary gland cells. Since there is decreased local immunity (radiation-induced), the possibility of devastating complications is high. Radiation-induced dry mouth (xerostomia) and osteoradionecrosis (ORN) (similar to the osteomyelitis of the jaw) are examples of these complications, which can result in the loss of large amounts of jawbone.

Treatment by the oral surgeon/general dentist team should include: a comprehensive examination; extraction of all non-restorable teeth that will fall within the target zone of the radiation beam; treatment of all other teeth with curettage and scaling; fabrication of temporary or permanent restorations; and custom fluoride trays. These treatments should help to protect the patient from the side effects of radiation treatment and possible complications. The chance of detrimental effects occurring is greatly reduced if dental treatment is complete before radiation therapy.

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