Dr. Roberts and Dr. Fluellen here at Fluellen Roberts Family Dentistry in Richardson, TX  are here to provide awareness in the month of April for Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Oral cancer can develop in any part of the mouth including the lips, tongue, cheeks, the floor of the mouth, and can be life-threatening if not treated properly or caught early enough. Our doctors here at Fluellen Roberts Family Dentistry want to ensure your dental health is your priority and we will take lab tests and imaging to ensure they are seeing everything correctly. There are many factors that play into the diagnosis of oral cancer and some of those include smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, family history of cancer, and excessive sun exposure.

Potential Symptoms of oral cancer:

• Sore, or soreness or irritation that doesn’t seem to go away
• Red or white patches, or pain, tenderness, or numbness in mouth or lips
• Lumps, thickening tissues, rough spots, crusty or eroded areas
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw or tongue

• Bleeding in the mouth
• Numbness, loss of feeling, or pain/tenderness in any area of the face
• Persistent sores on the face, neck, or mouth that bleed easily
• A soreness or feeling that something is caught in the back of the throat
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue
• Hoarseness, chronic sore throat, or change in voice

While this diagnosis can be frightening, the best way to stay on top of correct dental health is to come and get your 6-month exam, x-ray, and cleaning as well as your yearly oral cancer screening. Please call our office today to not only make an appointment for you, but for the whole family! We would like to see you all.

Call Fluellen Roberts Family Dentistry today for your oral cancer screening at 972-231-8241

Backpack? Check. Lunchbox? Check. Teeth cleaning? Check!

They say you are never fully dressed without a smile, so why not give your child a beautiful white smile to wear for their first day back to school?

The new 2018 school year is sneaking up on us and you have been given the ever-growing, back-to-school to-do list that every parent dreads. There is one important thing that the teachers did not include on that list: a back-to-school dental checkup.

Here at Fluellen Roberts Family Dentistry we always say it is good to have routine dental visits, but what makes back-to-school checkups so important is that it can help prevent common dental diseases found in school-age children. Cavities are known to be one of the biggest obstacles that children face and according to the ADA (American Dental Association), it causes them to miss “more than 51 million school hours each year”.

So if you want to keep those cavities and the other dental diseases at bay, here are some tips to have a successful dental checkup to ensure your children’s teeth shine as bright as their future:

• Brush! Brush! Brush! It’s important to encourage your child to brush twice a day for two minutes to keep those cavities away. Brownie points if your child brushes before their appointment!
• What time is it?? Naptime! Make sure you don’t schedule your child’s dental appointment during their naptime or your day at the dentist will be most challenging. Also, take into account if your child is cranky or had a bad day, they might not have the energy to make it through the appointment.
• If one of your children has gone to the dentist before and it’s their younger sibling’s first time, schedule the older child to go first to act as a role model and show the younger one how it’s done.
• If it is your child’s first time, it’s important to remember to stay strong and stay calm if your child starts to be uncooperative because if you scoop them up and walk out of the office, the next visit will be much harder. Give the doctor time to try and positively turn the visit around.

Once the appointment is underway, make sure to ask the dentist some of the following questions:

• How is my child’s overall health?
• Will my child get their teeth cleaned today?
• Will my child be given fluoride?
• Does my child need an x-ray or a mouth guard for sports?
• What are Sealants?

Now your child is ready to go back to school, but make sure to grab your dentist’s card because accidents are bound to happen whether your child is in sports, recess, or just walking down the school hallways. You can place these cards in your purse or in your child’s backpack just in case of emergencies. Maybe while you’re there you’ll even want to sign up for an appointment yourself.

Call Fluellen Roberts Family Dentistry today to schedule you and your child’s next dental appointment!  (972) 231-8241