April is Oral Cancer Awareness month, but at Vintage Dental in Modesto, it’s an important topic all year round. Oral cancer may not be in the news as often as other cancers, but nearly 7,000 people will die in 2013 as a result of oral cancer and nearly 36,0000 new cases will be diagnosed. (Source: ACS, revised 02.26.2013)

Oral Cancer Symptoms     

It’s important to have an oral cancer screening at every dental checkup. Oral cancer isn’t difficult to diagnose, but the danger is that it’s often caught in late stages when it’s spread to other parts of the body. If you notice any of the following symptoms in between checkups, please call us right away:

• A sore that doesn’t heal
• A lump or thickening of the lining of the mouth
• Difficult or painful chewing or swallowing

Who Gets Oral Cancer

More than 80% of oral cancers in men (65% in women) occur in tobacco and alcohol users, and combined heavy tobacco and alcohol use increases the risk 300 times that of non-users. (Source: National Institutes of Health, 2006)

Notice I didn’t say “smokers.” There is NO safe tobacco product, despite what you might hear. Even smokeless tobacco, pipes, and clove cigarettes increase your risk nearly 100 times more than non-tobacco users.

HPV and Oral Cancer

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that causes genital cancers in men and women. It is also becoming as much of risk for oral cancer as tobacco and alcohol. If you know you already have HPV, or are concerned about it, please talk to your doctor and make sure you have regular dental checkups as well as regular health checkups and screenings.

At Vintage Dental, we perform an oral cancer screen at every exam. It’s also a good practice to check your own mouth for any changes when you brush and floss. Call our Modesto dental office today for an appointment, especially if you’re overdue for your regular checkup. After all, we’d like to keep seeing you for a long time!

Many people have some form of the jitters before going to the dentist in Modesto. It can range from mild nervousness to a full-blown anxiety disorder. In fact, there are two names for dental phobia—odontophobia and dentophobia.

The reasons behind dental phobias are as individual as the people who have them such as previous bad experiences, stories from other people, or painful-looking scenes in movies or TV.

At the Smile Studio at Vintage Dental in Modesto, Dr. Rick Rodig completely understands these fears and can help you relax with a prescription medication that you can take before your visit so you’re completely relaxed when you arrive. You’ll still be fully conscious during your appointment, but you’ll have much less fear. This is called sedation dentistry.

Dental phobia is just one reason to consider sedation dentistry, but others include:

• Complex dental problems that will otherwise take several appointments to complete
• Excessive fears about dental appointments
• Difficulty getting numb
• Fear of needles and shots
• A strong gag reflex
• Highly sensitive teeth
• A dislike of the noises and smells associated with a dental office

Just let us know when you call for an appointment if you suffer from anxiety about going to the dentist in Modesto. We can help you prepare for your appointment before and during your treatment. Call us if you’re in Modesto, Riverbank, Oaksdale, or other nearby communities for your next dental appointment, one where you’ll be relaxed and anxiety-free.

Did you know that 69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay? And nearly 26% of adults over the age of 65 have lost at least their upper, lower, or all of their teeth?

Our life expectancy has increased by nearly 26 years since 1965. Then, the average life expectancy was 65. Now we can expect to live well into our 80s. As our longevity continues to increase, the risk of tooth loss has increased as well. Without teeth, it’s difficult to eat and this can impact your diet. It’s also difficult to speak, and your appearance can change dramatically. Without teeth to support your face, it begins to droop and sag, making you look older.

Dental Implants Defined

One solution for tooth replacement is dental implants in Modesto. They’re a superior choice for tooth replacement for several reasons:

• Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth.
• Improved speech and eating. Dental implants allow you to eat speak without the worry that teeth might slip.
• Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
• Durability. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.

Dr. Rick Rodig recommends mini dental implants to replace one or more missing teeth, to stabilize or even replace a bridge, partial or denture. Mini implants are completely non-surgical and are placed and finished in the same day. These dental implants are just as stable and long lasting as traditional dental implants.

Contact the Smile Studio at Vintage Dental if you’re looking for a Modesto dentist, also serving Riverbank, Oaksdale, or other nearby communities. Dr. Rodig can discuss all your tooth replacement options, including mini implants.

Do you sometimes stop and realize you’re clenching your teeth or your jaw sometimes locks when you’re eating? Do you have pain in the facial muscles or jaw? If your bite or other teeth are misaligned, you may need orthodontic work to gently reposition your teeth. But you certainly don’t want a mouthful of metal braces!

At the Smile Studio at Vintage Dental, Dr. Rick Rodig offers Invisalign^® invisible braces in Modesto. Invisalign can correct malocclusion (a poor bite) and other orthodontic problems by using a series of clear aligners, custom-fit orthotics that fit over your teeth and are replaced every two weeks until the desired adjustment is achieved.

Unlike traditional braces, the Invisalign aligners can be removed to eat and drink, and floss and brush your teeth. If you’re at work, meeting clients, going on job interviews, you can still have your teeth adjusted and feel confident about your smile.

Other solutions for malocclusion may be smoothing or building up your biting teeth, or replacing them with crowns.

If you think you may have any of the symptoms associated with malocclusion, contact our Modesto dental office at 209-524-5044, Riverbank, Oaksdale, or other nearby communities. If Invisalign is right for you, you can start straightening your smile now and no one will know!

One of the most versatile methods for repairing or refining a smile is tooth bonding. If you’ve had a tooth-colored filling, or any short cosmetic procedure, then you’ve likely experienced dental bonding

Dental bonding in Modesto may seem like an easy process. But it requires advanced training, technical skill and artful technique to create a bonded surface that is imperceptible from your natural tooth.

Dental bonding is nothing short of amazing in how it can be used:

• Fill cavities with non-metal, tooth-colored restorations
• Refine the shape of a tooth or close minor spaces between teeth
• Lengthen a tooth that is shorter than the rest of your teeth
• Cover a badly stained tooth
• Repair a broken or chipped tooth

At Vintage Dental, Dr. Rick Rodig will prepare a moldable resin, custom-colored to the rest of your teeth. The resin is artfully sculpted onto the tooth, with careful attention to strength and symmetry.

The restoration is then hardened using a special light, after which it’s refined and polished. Many patients are skeptical the first time they experience dental bonding. Until they look in the mirror! They can’t believe they’re looking at the same tooth.

Call us at Modesto dental office at 209.524.5044 if you’re in Modesto, Riverbank, Oaksdale, or other nearby communities. If tooth bonding is the right process for you, you’ll be done in just 30 to 60 minutes!

Of course you want a beautiful white smile. This is California, home of movie stars and celebrities with nearly perfect smiles. Are you considering tooth bleaching to get your smile movie-star white?

Be careful! Your teeth may seem tough, but the bleaching craze can take its toll on the health of your teeth and gums. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that anyone considering a tooth whitening treatment, whether with a dentist or by using an over-the-counter product, should first have an exam and consult with a dentist about the best tooth whitening system for you.

A beautiful smile is a naturally appealing feature, and to achieve it, Americans spend more than $1 billion a year on over-the-counter tooth whitening products. Smile whitening treatments are the #1 service requested of dentists, but some patients are “bleach-aholics,” using tooth-whitening strips or other products more frequently than advised. They have blazing white teeth, but like anorexics or plastic surgery enthusiasts, it’s never enough, and they over-bleach to the point of damaging their teeth.

Dr. Rick Rodig at Vintage Dental in Modesto can offer you several options to help you achieve the smile you want. The fastest process is the Zoom!2 Advanced Power Whitening system. In approximately an hour, you can have a smile that’s up to 8 shades whiter. Would you rather whiten at home, at your convenience? No problem! Dr. Rodig can give you either NiteWhite or Pola Whitening take-home treatments.

Just take a look at our Before & After section, and other pictures of actual patients on our website. Their smiles are not only beautiful, but they’re naturally white and enhance their features, unlike too-white, artificial-looking smiles.

If you’re in Modesto, Riverbank, Oaksdale, or other nearby communities, call us at Vintage Dental in Modesto at 209.524.5044. We’ll schedule a comprehensive exam and consultation with Dr. Rodig about the best way to achieve the smile you want. Tooth whitening is a short process with lasting, satisfying results!

If you have avoided having your picture taken at all those family and holiday events, a smile makeover by Dr. Rick Rodig of Vintage Dental[1]  might be a resolution that will put you front and center in pictures this year, and for years to come.

You may think cosmetic dentistry is just for celebrities. Or perhaps it’s something you’ve considered, but think it could be a long (and painful) process.

Not true! Cosmetic dentistry does improve your appearance, no doubt about that. But it also will help make your teeth stronger, and can help your overall health and wellness. The technology Dr. Rodig uses for smile makeovers in Modesto is so advanced that your makeover can be gentle, pain-free, and completed in as few as 2 or 3 visits.

Many problems with your teeth, such as gaps or overlaps, stained or missing teeth, can be corrected with porcelain veneers, or dental implants, avoiding orthodontic work. But if you need braces to correct the position of your teeth, Dr. Rodig offers Invisalign, which uses clear aligners to adjust your teeth, not metal braces.

For making your teeth as white as they can be, we use Zoom!2 Advanced Power Whitening System in the office. If you’d rather whiten your teeth at home, we can give you NiteWhite or Pola Whitening gels and custom-formed trays to use at your convenience.

Need more convincing? Just look at the pictures in this site. Those aren’t models or stock photographs. Those are actual patients from the Smile Studio at Vintage Dental! You can have a smile just as beautiful and natural-looking!

If you’re in Modesto, Riverbank, Oaksdale, or other nearby communities, call us at Vintage Dental in Modesto at 209.524.5044. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, or schedule an appointment for an exam and initial consultation for a smile makeover.

Who doesn’t love kisses, especially at the holidays when we’re connecting with loved ones, young and old, new and familiar!

But don’t keep people at arm’s length because your kisses come with halitosis, or bad breath. Bad breath can be temporary, after eating an odor-causing food. But halitosis can indicate a periodontal disease (gum disease) like gingivitis or periodontitis. You’ve probably heard of both of these gum diseases, but what are the symptoms of periodontal disease? Can it be cured, and will it cure halitosis? Fortunately, we have advanced and gentle techniques to treat gum disease in Modesto at Vintage Dental.

Gingivitis is an inflammation of your gums that can worsen and turn into periodontitis, where the inflammation has spread to the tissues and bones that support your teeth. The cause of most periodontal disease is bacterial plaque on your teeth. Ignoring any of the symptoms of gum disease can result in the loss of your teeth. Plus, gum disease can be a significant problem for diabetic patients. A vicious cycle exists where diabetic patients are more susceptible to any infection, including dental disease. And the bacteria and inflammation of gum disease can elevate blood glucose levels, making it harder for diabetic patients to control their blood sugars. If you are diabetic, please let Dr. Rodig know so he can recommend what therapy is best for you if he discovers tartar above or below the gum line.

If you have sore gums, or bleeding gums, don’t hesitate to call us at Vintage Dentistry. We have many gentle, comfortable methods for treating gum disease, so there’s no reason to be afraid to call the dentist!

Look on our website under the Technology section. You’ll see that from our examination methods to treatments such as the Cavitron or the gentle, yet powerful soft tissue laser, we have a selection of treatments for gum disease that Dr. Rick Rodig can use that will help you avoid more invasive treatment, such as gum surgery.

If you’re in the Modesto, Riverbank, Oaksdale, or other nearby communities, and think you may have symptoms of periodontal disease, call our Modesto Dental Office at 209.524.5044. The treatments for gum disease can be very simple, especially in the early stages.

The holidays in Modesto are filled with colors, and so are holiday foods! At parties, in our workplace, at home—holiday treats are everywhere, but some foods are more likely to stain your teeth.

Here are some of the top foods you might encounter during the holiday season that can leave your smile less than white:

• Berries: Whether they’re in pies or all by themselves, those lovely blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and cranberries have healthy antioxidants, but can stain your white teeth the color of Christmas lights!
• Red wine: The darker the wine, the more it can stain your teeth. Keep a glass of water nearby, and periodically take a few sips.
• Artificially colored gum and candy, nuts: It’s the holidays, we all want to treat ourselves just a little! But even breath-freshening gum can leave unsightly food stains on your teeth, not to mention candy, even chocolate!

And of course, cigarettes and cigars, besides being general health hazards, can also leave ugly stains on your teeth, ruining a beautiful smile.

If you’re in the Modesto, Riverbank, Oaksdale, or surrounding areas, call our Modesto dental office at (209) 524-5044 during or after the holidays for a regular checkup (or maybe a Zoom!2 tooth whitening treatment to start the new year!

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and nothing encourages lifetime health better than knowing the dangers of tobacco use.  While it’s important to recognize that not all patients battling lung cancer are tobacco users, smoking is the leading risk factor for developing lung cancer.  Additionally, smoking is not only harmful to your lungs, it can also cause extensive damage in your mouth.

Smoking often leads to several unwanted health and dental consequences including raising the risk of periodontal (gum) disease, discoloration of the teeth and oral cancer.  In fact, oral cancer is six times more common in people who smoke.  These scary realities of tobacco use make scheduling and keeping regular appointments at our Modesto dental office even more important.

Here at Vintage Dental, we offer exceptional care for lifetime health.  Smoker or not, we believe in conducting thorough oral cancer screenings at every comprehensive exam to ensure a healthy mouth.  We also screen for periodontal disease which is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults.  Additionally, the bacteria that cause gum disease have been linked to serious health issues such as heart problems, strokes, diabetic concerns and even cancer.

Smoking can also cause unwanted discoloration of your teeth.  We can help with that, too.  We offer a simple, quick, safe and effective at-home smile brightening treatment that will leave your smile white and dazzling.  We also offer an in-office treatment with Zoom!2 Advanced Power Whitening.  This advanced tooth whitening system will make your teeth whiter in less than an hour!

During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and every month, it’s important to become educated on the dangers of tobacco use and also reflect on the dental damage smoking can cause.  Call our Modesto dental office today at 209-524-5044 and have us treat you to a lifetime of health.