We Can Help Protect You from Oral Cancer

by Linda Donley, from the offices of James R. Donley, DDS

Oral cancer is a type of cancer that has not experienced any significant drop in the mortality rate in the last 30 years.

It is a known fact that the chance of developing oral cancer is three times the number who develop cervical cancer. It is also known that one North American dies every hour of every day from this type of cancer. Traditionally, it has been people who smoke or use chewing tobacco, consume alcohol or are over the age of 40 who develop oral cancer. Today, however, oral cancer is striking younger people who do not use tobacco or abuse alcohol. It appears that the cause may be one of two strains of the human papilloma virus.

The main reason the mortality rate is so high, is that oral cancer is not discovered until it is in the late stages about 70% or the time. By then it is often too late.

A state of the art oral screening system called the Velscope has recently been acquired. With the Velscope we can see beneath the surface to detect potentially dangerous growths and lesions early that we might otherwise miss. It only takes a few minutes, involves no pain or inconvenience and is very safe. In most cases, the Velscope will indicate that there is nothing to be concerned about. However, if something is found, you have the peace of mind that it has been found very early and the survival rate is extremely high.

For more information call Dr. James Donley's office at (231) 744-6661.

Dr. Donley and staff can be reached at (231) 744-6661. Their offices are at 166 N. Causeway in North Muskegon.

What Your Smile Says About You

from the Offices of James R. Donley, DDS

Did you know the quality of your smile has a more direct effect on your personal and business relationships than any other part of your appearance?

In fact, 88% of all people in North America say they always remember someone with an especially attractive smile. Not only that, 75% agree that an unattractive smile can seriously hurt a person's chances for financial success. Perhaps that is why more that half the adults in America wish they could change their smile.

Today's adults are very self conscious about how they look, how they dress, and with whom they are seen. Baby Boomers are very concerned about age and how it is affecting them. In fact, they are not the only ones, as our senior citizens of 2008 cannot be compared to the seniors of 50 years ago. Today, most seniors look good, feel good, and are concerned about keeping their good looks and health. Women no longer are content with staying at home and raising their families. Men and women are working full time and do not let age slow them down as shown by all the people working well into their 70s. These people are also very active in their communities and have no thought about retiring at 65. The philosophy of today seems to be, "If you don't like something, fix it." This is shown by all the cosmetic options that are now available not only for our teeth, but for our entire body.

It is a known fact that as we age teeth begin to darken and dark teeth do not say, "YOUTH." Drinking coffee, tea red wine and colas as well as smoking may darken teeth.

There are many options that you can explore with Dr. Donley that can change the color of your teeth. The first step may be whitening, where we make custom fitting trays that uniformly whiten the surface of the tooth and give longer lasting whitening than over the counter products.

Not all people can attain their desired smile results with whitening. For damaged or deeply stained teeth, sheer, light-colored porcelain veneers can be put on front teeth. These veneers can be related to the "acrylic nails" that women are using to make their fingernails more attractive and can be done in one visit.

However, veneers are not always an option. If this is the case, we can prepare the teeth and put on porcelain crowns. All of these procedures can give a glowing smile and take years off your appearance.

To schedule an appointment to decide what would be best for you, call Dana at (231) 744-6661.

Dr. Donley and staff can be reached at (231) 744-6661. Their offices are at 166 N. Causeway in North Muskegon.