Mouthguards for Athletes and Others in Superior, WI

April 25, 2015

Filed under: Athletic Mouth Guard,Uncategorized — Tags: athletic mouthguard, custom fitted mouthguard, Douglas County, Dr. Clark, Hill Avenue Dental, mouthguard, Northeastern Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin, Superior — dr_clark @ 5:25 pm

77295850 Every sport has its uniform essentials. Football players wear helmets and shoulder pads. In hockey—a Wisconsin favorite—players also wear heavy padding as well as a helmet and in the case of the goalie, a face mask, too. Tennis stars wear tennis whites. The list goes on and on. But there is one piece of equipment that every player should wear regardless of the sport and regardless of whether they play professional or amateur. A mouthguard is essential for protecting your teeth, gums, lips and tongue during any kind of athletic activity. At Hill Avenue Dental in Superior, WI, Dr. Doug Clark, Jr. or Dr. Doug Clark III will prescribe a custom-fitted mouthguard for you or any member of your family who is actively involved in sports.

Every year, more than five million teeth are lost because of sports injuries. With a mouthguard, you can prevent one of those teeth from being yours. But avoiding tooth loss is only the beginning of the advantages that wearing a mouthguard offers. The risk of other serious injuries—such as lacerations to the tongue, lips and gums—are greatly reduced. Moreover, wearing a mouthguard has been shown to reduce the risk of concussion that might otherwise result from a hard blow to the head, face or jaw. Essentially, a mouthguard acts like a shock absorber between your upper and lower jaw, thereby helping to not only prevent concussions, but neck injuries, too.

Mouthguards: The Psychological and Economic Benefits

When playing competitive sports, athletes want every psychological advantage they can get. Research indicates that when they are wearing proper protection, including a mouthguard, they feel more confident and are likely to play more aggressively. Furthermore, wearing a mouthguard offers a tremendous economic advantage; replacing a tooth lost due to a sports injury can cost 20 times more than the cost of a custom-fitted mouthguard.

Call Our Office Today

No matter what your sport is, call Hill Avenue Dental to schedule your appointment for a custom-fitted mouthguard. We serve patients in Superior, WI, as well as from Duluth, Douglas County, Northern Wisconsin and Northeastern Minnesota.

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Oral Cancer Screening at Hill Avenue Dental in Superior, WI

April 10, 2015

Filed under: oral cancer,oral cancer screening,oral cancer superior,Uncategorized — Tags: Douglas County, Dr. Clark, Hill Avenue Dental, Northeastern Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin, oral cancer, oral cancer screening, oral cancer screening superior, Superior — dr_clark @ 5:21 pm

ThinkstockPhotos-511776085 According to the American Dental Association, some 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year. The five-year survival rate for those who are told that they have oral cancer is slightly more than 64 percent. Fortunately, there is something you can do to avoid the ravages of this disease: have an oral cancer screening. The Oral Cancer Foundation has designated April as Oral Cancer Awareness Month, so there’s no better time than now to come to Hill Avenue Dental in Superior, WI, for an oral cancer screening.

During each of your biannual dental checkups, Dr. Doug Clark, Jr. or Dr. Doug Clark III will visually examine your entire oral cavity from the tip of your tongue to the back of your throat for the early signs of oral cancer. These include:

A sore or ulcer that does not heal within two to three weeks
A red, white or even blackish colored patch
A swelling or lump that is in the tissue or raised above the tissue
An area in the mouth or on the lips that feels numb
A spot that bleeds when touched
A persistent sore throat, raspy voice or cough
Painful swallowing
A long-lasting earache with no sign of infection

Preventing Oral Cancer

When you come to Hill Avenue Dental for your regularly scheduled dental checkup, our dentists will conduct an oral cancer screening and talk to you about your health history to determine if you are at greater risk. Research has shown that a number of factors contribute to the development of oral cancer. People who smoke or drink excessive amounts of alcohol, especially those who are older than 50 years old, are at greater risk. Additionally, the human papilloma virus (HPV) has been connected to oral cancer. In non-smoking adults, HPV may be related to the growing number of throat cancers.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Call the office of Hill Avenue Dental to schedule your dental checkup and oral cancer screening. The saying is cliché, but the life you save may be your own. We serve patients in Superior, WI, as well as from Duluth, Douglas County, Northern Wisconsin and Northeastern Minnesota.