Thanks for checking out our new site. Please take a look around and let us know what you think. You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest new and information. We look forward to hearing from you, if you would like to know more about the products we offer you can go to our Pharmaden products page here.
Did you know that April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month? It is the 6th most common form of cancer. Close to 48,250 American are diagnosed each year with oral or pharyngeal cancer and more than 9,000 of those patients die each year. That means that there is about 1 death every hour of every day, each year.
If oral cancer is detected early then the survival rate increases to 80-90%. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation (www.oralcancerfoundation.org) the 5-year survival rate of those who are diagnosed is approximately 57%. You’ve probably heard of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thyroid cancer, and cervical cancer. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than any of those types of cancer!
Here is a breakdown of which part of the mouth is involved in oral cancer according to Dentistry iQ: 20-25% involve the tongue, 15% the floor of the mouth, 10-15% involve lips, and 10-15% involve the minor salivary glands.
The most common oral cancer is squamous cell carcinoma with 90% of oral cancers being this form, which is malignant and typically spreads quickly.
The earlier cancer is detected, the less chance it has to spread. So, what are the stages of cancer?
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Recurrent: Recurrence of cancer after treatment
Seeing your dentist could save your life. Because patients may not feel pain or recognize the symptoms as abnormal this makes it difficult to diagnose oral cancer until it is already in the later stages. Routinely visiting your dentist isn’t just for a routine cleaning but a way a dentist could save your life. Human papillomavirus (HPV), which spreads easily, is the fastest growing risk factor for oral cancer is. Anyone over 17 should be checked for oral cancer.
Surprisingly, It is not required for dentists to have an oral cancer screening program. There are screening techniques that can detect abnormalities in tissue to help determine if further testing is necessary – like a biopsy. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), these screenings should be performed on anyone over 17 because of how easily HPV spreads.
3 Deadly Truths Of Your Oral & Heart Health
1. Having high levels of the common periodontal pathogen P. Gingivalis gives a 13X higher risk of heart attack. This is taken in consideration after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, BMI, BP, plaque index, statins and TC/HDL.
2. High levels A. Actinomycetemcomitans, another periodontal bacteria, increases the risk of fatty plaques in the lining of arteries. Dentists can test for this with a saliva test.
3. Oral infections produce up to 50% of all heart attacks. A dentist can also test for this with a saliva test.
Grape seed extract is amazing for your skin, hair, nails, and blood vessels according to research. But, new research also shows that when grape seed extract is added to your diet, with calcium, there is improvement in bone strength (Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions). It has a “beneficial effect on bone formation and bone strength for the treatment of bone debility caused by a low level of calcium”.
Please note that not all grape seed extract is of the same quality. Numerous research articles suggest that quality grape seed extract could be very beneficial for many people. Grape seed extracts have become a clinical interest because of the small molecular size polyphenols, called oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs), present.
Pharmaden’s main goal is to help improve customer health so our dental vitamins use the smallest OPCs for the best absorption. Black pepper is also added to each of our 3 non-synthetic products (PerioTherapy, PerioCare, OsteoTherapy) to enhances absorption by up to another 40%.
Westmont dentist and Pharmaden LLC president, Dr. Ron Schefdore, uses these products in his dental office. Please visit https://pharmaden.net/ for more information, to see our double blind study, and listen to testimonials.
Dentistry is changing with the times. Nowadays, a dentist can find out if you have high cholesterol or high C-Reactive Protein, 2 major heart markers. A dentist can also find out if you have colon cancer, diabetes, gout, or a variety of other health issues.
Westmont dentist and Pharmaden President, Dr. Ron Schefdore, will refer his patients to their physician when they have gum disease in order to rule out any underlying health issues.
One patient in particular stands out. Dr. Schefdore treated a patient for gum disease and his inflammatory blood test, called high sensitivity C-Reactive protein (HS-CRP), was still high after clearing up his periodontal disease. This led to Dr. Schefdore refering this patient to their physician to find the source of inflammation. What they found was indeed a second source of the high inflammation…colon cancer!! 2 months after surgery the patients HS-CRP were very low. The patient was very grateful that his colon cancer was caught early…all because of his dentist!
All in all, a good dentist will care about more than just their patients smile. What our oral health tells a dentist could save your life too. Go to a good and caring dentist, make sure they do more than just see you for a few minutes when you go in for a routine cleaning. Dr. Schefdore will see all of his patients at least 20 minutes during a cleaning and perform a thorough 15 point exam.
Are you taking antidepressants and want to get dental implants? Here is why you need to make sure your dentist knows what medications you are taking.
A study done by the University of Buffalo connects the use of antidepressants with a 4 times increase in the odds of failure in dental implants AND that each year of antidepressant use doubles the odds of failure.
Did you know antidepressants are the 2nd most prescribed medications in the US?
Antidepressants reduce the regulation of bone metabolism which is necessary for healing after an implant procedure. Antidepressants are also know to have other side effects that may hinder the implant healing process such as osteoporosis, akathisia, bruxism, and dry mouth.
Kevin RPh (registered pharmacist) says, “In this particular scenario concerning bone health, we should be investigating the value of supporting our patients with Vitamin D3 and minerals, especially magnesium.”
Research strongly suggests that a deficiency of Vitamin D is a causative factor when it comes to failed dental implants.
Calcium and magnesium are important for general health, growth, and to repair cells and tissues. When taken with Vitamin D this may aid in skeletal bone density and periodontal health which could help increase your chances at successfully getting dental implants.
Researchers have also found that being deficient in magnesium is associated with increased symptoms of depression and a magnesium supplement has been shown to improve depression. There are other smaller studies that suggest a correlation between low Vitamin D and showing symptoms of depression.
OsteoTherapy by Pharmaden is a supplement that contains each of these nutrients: Vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium. Please see the x-rays below of a patient who took OsteoTherapy over several months.
http://www.perioimplantadvisory.com/articles/2016/04/antidepressant-medications-and-nutraceuticals-effects-on-the-success-of-dental-implants.html