Take the threat of oral cancer seriously

By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times April is oral cancer awareness month. A cancer that few talk about. Most people rarely notice the red and white ribbon that is the official designator of oral cancer.  As a dental professional I have to ask, If there were a quick and painless way to identify pre-cancerous cells in the mouth of someone you loved, would you want them to try...

Just scraping by — the tongue — for better oral health

By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times If you never heard of tongue scraping – you are not alone. While it’s been a standard go-to therapy in bad-breath treatment for years, most of us never really paid a lot of attention to our tongues.  So let me explain what it’s all about. Just imagine that cold winter day (the one we are all dreading) … as you stand at the door,...

Tips for keeping your lips happy and healthy

Winter is when lips become chapped; a few ways to keep them happy and smiling By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times Yes, your lips do matter and in the bitter cold of January appropriate lip care is always a concern.   In dentistry we sometimes say that the lips are just the picture frame around a beautiful smile.  Our lips are really so much more. Without healthy lips we would...

College students: they’re baaaaack

By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times It’s that wonderful time in the spring when the college students soon will be returning home for spring or summer break, looking for jobs, and recharging before the fall term begins. It’s also time as parents to be a bit pro-active about the dental needs of these students. College students have a unique set of dental concerns. Many students...

Oral Piercing – Is it worth the risk?

It’s smart to know the potential issues before going forward By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD, FAGD, Columnist, The Times Body piercing has been a popular form of self-adornment since early tribal cultures began the practice thousands of years ago.  It is important to know are the specific dangers that come with oral piercings. Unlike ears or other areas of cartilage, the inside of the mouth...

Mouth ulcers – what a pain!

These mysterious and painful lesions impact 1 out of 5 people By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD, FAGD, Columnist, The Times Yesterday, when I told my husband what this month’s column would be on, he looked puzzled.  I know there are new and exciting high tech and wonderful things to write about and yet, every week we see people who are suffering and just don’t know why. If you one of the many folks...