Head and Neck Exam:The Standard of Dental Care

The head and neck exam has become the gold standard of dental care in light of the increase in cancers of this area of the body in recent years,and the window into overall health that it provides.The combined Intraoral/Extraoral exam is the recommended practice for dental clinicians today,as a part of regular dental checkups.Dentists have been enlisted to serve on the frontlines of cancer detection by means of this screening procedure.The exam only takes about five minutes.*
The thorough head and neck exam consists of systematic visual inspection and palpation of structures of the head and neck region.It should be a routine part of every patient's dental care.Some of the main features of the screening are evaluation of the patient's symmetry and profile;cutaneous area;lips;lymph nodes;salivary glands;thyroid gland;temporomandibular joint;oropharynx;tonsillar crypt;soft palate and uvula;hard palate;tongue;and gingiva.*
According to Jaisri Thoppay,DDS,Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine and Orafacial Pain at the Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Dentistry's Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery:
Anyone can get oral cancer and everyone should have periodic oral,head and neck cancer screening.Preventative screening facilitates early detection.Screening tests are given when one does not have any cancer symptoms.*
About 50,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal cancer this year.Just slightly more than half of them will still be alive in five years.*
Besides oral,head and neck cancer,the exam facilitates early detection of skin cancers of this high risk area of the body and even autoimmune disorders.

Today's European Issues on President's Mind-plus a Jim Kelly update

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Europe by the D-Day invasion,the President of the United States reflected on a number of controversies in Europe today,and also on the release of a US soldier,Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl,by Taliban militants in Afghanistan.We are at a point where Mr.Putin has a chance to get back in the lane of international law,said President Barack Obama at a Thursday press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron in Brussels,Begium.If Mr.Putin takes those steps,it is possible for us to begin to rebuild trust.The fact that some Russian troops have withdrawn from the Ukrainian border does not mean we can afford three or four or six months of drift.
I have no doubt I'll be seeing President Putin at the D-Day observances.He and I have always had a businesslike relationship.I will be delivering the same message:Russia has a legitimate interest,but it's up to the people of Ukraine to make its own decision.The destabilising actions we now see,funded and encouraged by Russia,are unacceptable.If he continues undermining the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine,we will have no choice but to impose more sanctions,Mr.Obama indicated.*
On the issue of Scotland possibly leaving the United Kingdom,he noted that,from the outside at least,it looks as if the UK-Scotland union has worked pretty well,but ultimately that is for the people of Scotland to decide.As to Britain possibly leaving the European Union,it's important for us to know that Great Britain has a seat at the table of the larger European project.It's hard for me to imagine that project would go well without Great Britain.I'm sure the people of Great Britain will make the right decision.*
I'm never surprised by controversies that are whipped up in Washington,the President continued.We had a prisoner of war whose health had deteriorated,and we had an opportunity and we seized it,and I make no apologies for that.This basic principle that we don't leave anybody behind dates back to the beginning of the Republic.As Commander in Chief,I am responsible for these kids.I write too many letters to folks who don't get to see their children again.We don't condition whether we make the effort to get someone back,the President explained.*
Jim Kelly update:A large crowd of Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly's friends and former NFL colleagues gathered in the Buffalo suburb of Batavia,New York Tuesday for the 28th Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic,the annual charity golf tournament of the Kelly for Kids Foundation.Jim is still in a Buffalo hospital recovering from six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for his recurrent oral cancer that has spread into his sinus area.
Jim's pain has subsided,older brother Dan Kelly said,but he will still need 6-8 weeks more rest after about another week in hospital,before he can be tested to determine how successful his treatment has been.
This year's tournament should raise more than 250,000 dollars,according to Dan.The Foundation has donated more than five million to regional charities since its inception.

Kellys Thankful as Cancer Treatment Ends

Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly has completed his six weeks of treatment for the recurrence of oral cancer.The NFL football star got his last dose of radiation Wednesday,and finished chemotherapy last week.The radiation was particularly painful,causing him to lose the skin from the roof of his mouth.He had to be fed through a tube.
His wife,Jill Kelly,tweeted the following:
At 1 pm today!IT IS FINISHED!
GLORY TO GOD!!!!
DONE!
She went on to tweet:
High Fives.Tears.And A LOT OF THANKS AND PRAISE!!!!
Again,THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!*
Next will be two to three months of assessment to deteremine if more surgery will be needed.Jim underwent his first operation last June.The squamous cell carcinoma returned and started to spread up his orbital nerve.
This blog will stay on the story.

Jim Kelly Speaks Out on Cancer,Buffalo Bills Sale

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is a man fighting two battles at once.One is against the agressive oral cancer that threatens his life;the other is against the commercial interests in Ontario,Canada or elsewhere that may buy and eventually relocate his beloved Buffalo Bills,who are for sale following the death of founder and owner Ralph Wilson.In a statement released Thursday by his company,Jim Kelly,Inc.,Kelly said this cancer has been rough.It's hurt really bad and the treatments have kicked my butt.But my faith in God is strong and I'm back home in Buffalo working with a good team of doctors.I'm not out of the woods by any means,but we think the treatments are going well and I know I'm going to beat this.*
In an interview with The Buffalo News,Jim went into considerable detail about his struggles.It just seems like you're falling apart,the Western New York hero said.I went two weeks without eating.No tastebuds,no nothing.I wasn't getting any nutrition.Finally they had to put a feeding tube in.The radiation is burning my mouth.I have no skin on the roof of my mouth,but I'm getting through it.I've had such a supporting cast,not only from my family,but from Western New York-and all over the world.That surprised me.I have eight more radiation treatments and one more chemo treatment left.
I've gotten a number of emails from people who have been through the same thing with suggestions on how to deal with it.That helps.I fight every battle every day.I'm not scared to die.I know my tomorrows are going to be better than today.I know I'm going to see my late son again.
I still have so many things I've got to do-making sure the Bills stay in Buffalo.I'm battling,but it's not the battle I want to fight right now.I'm trying to do all I can right now.
Keep voicing your opinion.Whoever the new owner is,Western New York has to be the destination.Donald Trump is excited.We should know in the next six months who the players are,a very alert and determined Jim Kelly told sports writer Mark Gaughan from his black leather rocker with a red pillow.

Jim Kelly Makes Video For Fans

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly made a short video for his fans last week,which was posted to Facebook.The Buffalo Bills legend was halfway through his treatment regimen for oral cancer that had recurred following surgery last June.His wife Jill said it was a stretch for Jim to make the video,but he wanted to thank everyone for their support.
Jim asked for their continued prayers because he still needs them.Without the prayers,he couldn't make it through his ordeal.As of last week,he had been through 19 radiation treatments and two rounds of chemotherapy for the spreading squamous cell carcinoma.His eyes were alert and his voice sounded fairly strong,although his speech was slightly slurred.
Jim's been following the NFL draft very closely and watched it with his family tonight.He correctly predicted that the Buffalo Bills would trade up and select Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
Jim's former teammate Thurman Thomas has been visiting him regularly now he is at home in Buffalo being treated on an outpatient basis since Easter.Thomas said Jim is doing much better than when he was in a New York City hospital.Still,there are bad days along with the good,and the challenge is by no means over.This blog intends to stay on the case and keep the support rolling.

Sherpas Killed in Everest Avalanche-plus a Jim Kelly update

Just below 6400 meters/21,000 feet on Mount Everest,six Nepalese sherpa guides were killed in an avalanche and nine more were missing.The guides had been fixing ropes ahead of mountain climbers waiting for the weather to clear at Camp 2.The avalanche billowed over an area known as the Popcorn Field.Rescuers,including climbers,attempted to aid the sherpa guides,assisted by three helicopters dispatched from the Nepalese capital,Kathmandu.Nepal stations security and other personnel at Base Camp at 5300 meters/17,380 feet during climbing season in April and May.
Since it was first climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary and his sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953,Mount Everest has drawn increasing numbers of climber tourists,and hundreds of lives have been lost in the attempt to scale the world's highest peak in its volatile weather conditions.At times,this has caused a circus atmosphere,compromised safety and environmental degradation.*
Update:NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly will be spending Easter in New York City,his wife Jill tweeted,where he is undergoing cancer treatment.The Buffalo Bills legend and his family had hoped to spend the weekend at their suburban Buffalo home.He had some rough days following his first chemotherapy session this week,then a few good days.The treatment was painful as it targeted cancer cells attached to nerves in his maxillary sinus and adjacent tissues.He will receive more chemo at weeks three and six,as well as five radiation treatments a week.
Jim has been in the hospital for three weeks now.He initially had oral surgery for a squamous cell carcinoma of the jaw last June,but the cancer recurred and started to spread.

NFL Great Jim Kelly's Cancer Treatment Set

The beloved former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly,who led the NFL team to four consecutive Super Bowls from 1991-94,remains in New York's Lenox Hill Hospital,where he is scheduled to begin treatment for his aggressive head and neck cancer next Monday.He has endured a lot of pain and weakness recently,but is still determined to regain his health,bolstered by strong support and prayers from family and his Western New York fan base.
Last summer,part of Jim's jaw and some teeth were removed during oral surgery for a squamous cell carcinoma.Since then,however,the cancer has reportedly started to spread countless microscopic tumors up the infraorbital nerve,dangerously close to the carotid artery.Jim said he had complained about his headaches for months,but thought they were just part of healing from his June 2013 surgery.Routine testing recently diagnosed the recurring malignancy.*
In an April 1 statement on Jim's condition released by Lenox Hill Hospital,Peter Constantino,MD,executive director of the New York Head&Neck Institute,said Jim will start treatment next week targeting cancer cells in his maxillary sinus and adjacent tissues.He will receive a single dose of chemotherapy along with concurrent daily radiation treatments.The chemotherapy will be repeated on an outpatient basis in about three and six weeks.The radiation therapy will be a six week regimen at North Shore LIJ Cancer Institute Center for Advanced Medicine in Lake Success,New York,which has a new,47 million dollar,30,000 square foot radiation medicine faciltity that opened earlier this year.
At the conclusion of these treatments,we will wait two to three months to determine the status of his cancer before deciding if surgery will be necessary,Dr.Constantino said.I am confident that this current regimen has a good chance of successfully impacting Jim's cancer.
As I have stated previously,Jim Kelly's condition remains very treatable and potentially curable.Even if chemotherapy and radiation are not successful in eradicating the cancer,his skull-base tumor remains operable,the leading authority on cranial base tumor surgery and facial reconstruction concluded.
Head and neck cancer has been linked to tobacco use,heavy drinking and the human papilloma virus.

NFL Great Jim Kelly To Have Cancer Surgery

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly,53,will undergo cancer surgery today,June 7,to remove part of his upper right jaw.He has a squamous cell carcinoma,a type of skin cancer that can form in the jaw bone.Surgery is typically indicated when the cancer is discovered at an early stage.
More than 90% of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.Squamous cells are the lining of the throat and mouth.Some of them may become abnormal,or cancerous.
About 80% of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers are linked to heavy alcohol use;70% are linked to tobacco use,either smoking or chewing tobacco;25% are linked to human papilloma virus,which also causes cervical cancer.Heredity may also be a factor.
Following removal of the tumor,surgical reconstruction of the oral cavity and implanting of a prosthetic device may be required to assist with speaking,chewing and smiling.
Oral cancer screening is painless and may be performed by a dentist as part of a regular dental exam.
Jim Kelly said he is doing his best to keep his spirits up in the face of his diagnosis.So far,there is no evidence the tumour has spread.
Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls from 1991-94,and was a four-time Pro Bowl all star.He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002,as soon as he was eligible.Today he runs a football camp for children and hosts a charity golf tournament every year,which he intends to do this year even with his health condition.
Update:Jim Kelly is recovering comfortably following surgery at Erie County Medical Center,his doctors said in a statement.He underwent a partial maxillectomy,or removal of the jaw bone,to remove a squamous cell carcinoma of the upper gingival caused by chronic irritation at the gum site.He underwent reconstruction with a dental obturator,or prosthetic plate.
The surgery went very well.We are hopeful for and anticipate a speedy recovery and successful outcome,his doctors concluded.

Dentists and Overall Health

The mouth is truly a portal to the rest of the body.That is why dentists are able to detect more than 120 diseases in the course of their regular oral exams.Clearly they should be regarded as integral members of the health care team.Some of the conditions they can spot are diabetes,osteoporosis,kidney disease,tuberculosis and high blood pressure.Their oral cancer screening is often a lifesaver.
If you have dental checkups every six months,your dentist may be the health professional who examines you most often.Their careful evaluation can be extremely beneficial to your quest for wellness.

Health Uncle:Pistachios Beneficial

Pistachio nuts may be helpful in lowering LDL cholesterol by up to 12%.The Penn State study shows that one or two handfuls a day may be effective.Besides being linked to lower cholesterol,the nuts are high in fiber and cell-protecting anti-oxidants.A 100 calorie serving of pistachios amounts to about 30 nuts.
When you've eaten your nuts,consider flossing or rinsing to prevent gum disease.Gum disease is associated with a number of other chronic diseases,from heart conditions to oral and lung cancers.Particles of food stuck on or between the teeth attract the bacteria that eventually infect your gums.More than 75% of Americans suffer from some stage of gum disease.