Keeping Mill Creek, Washington Healthy

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and everyone here at the dental practice of Dr. Brian Rutherford would like to remind you of the dangers of smoking. While it’s important to know that not all lung cancer patients are smokers or former smokers, it’s also important to recognize smoking as the leading risk factor for developing lung cancer. Not only can smoking be harmful to your lungs, it can also be destructive to your mouth.

Smoking often leads to several unwanted dental consequences including raising the risk of oral cancer, periodontal (gum) disease and discoloration of teeth. In fact, oral cancer is six times more common in those who smoke. Knowing these scary realities of tobacco use makes scheduling and keeping regular appointments at my Mill Creek, Washington dental office even more important.

At the Dental Practice of Brian Rutherford, DDS, we treat all of our patients with state-of-the-art comprehensive dental care that provides excellent health. At every check-up, we screen every patient for oral cancer and will biopsy any tissue that seems suspicious. With an estimated 34,000 Americans diagnosed with this disease every year, we place extreme importance on early detection.

We also screen for periodontal disease which is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults. Smoking, along with other factors including stress, grinding of the teeth or poor nutrition, can increase the risk of periodontal disease. If we do find gum disease during an exam, periodontal therapy at Mill Creek Family Dentistry is treated with advanced therapies which are comfortable and thorough.

Smoking can also cause unwanted discoloration of teeth. We can help with that, too. Our Mill Creek, Washington dental team offers Zoom!® teeth whitening and Day White tray whitening. With the choice of either having your whitening treatment done in-office or at home, we can help you take your teeth from dull to dazzling whichever way is convenient for you!

During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and every month, it’s important to become educated on the dangers of tobacco use and to also reflect on the dental damage smoking can cause. Call my Mill Creek, Washington dental office today at 425.298.3925 and have us treat you to a lifetime of health.