Dr. Cocco's Blog

The American Cancer Society estimates that doctors will diagnose around 54,000 new cases of oral cancer in 2023, and that the same disease will account for over 10,00 deaths. It’s unfortunately a fairly common condition, and given its severity, being examined for it often is important.

This is also because it’s possible for oral cancer to spread to other parts of the body. If the cancer metastasizes, the condition becomes much more dangerous, so here’s what you should know about how quickly that can happen.

Are you a fan of contact sports like wrestling, football, or boxing? If so, it’s essential that you protect your teeth and gums in the process. Around 5 million teeth are dislodged due to contact sports injuries every year, whether it’s a knocked-out tooth, serious soft tissue injury, or loose restoration – that’s why wearing a mouthguard is so important! To learn more about which sports require participants to wear a mouthguard and how a mouthguard protects your smile, keep reading.

Oral cancer is one of the most predominant types of cancer in the world; in fact, 54,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the US, and roughly 40% of those cases have a grim outlook. But as serious and widespread as oral cancer might be, did you know that regular oral cancer screenings can offer significant protection from the disease? Keep reading to learn more about how!

Veneers are one of the hottest cosmetic treatment options around, and several patients these days are turning toward this awesome solution to achieve the bright smile they’ve always dreamed of. However, there is no perfect substitute for your natural teeth, and despite their effectiveness, veneers can still fall off without any apparent warning. But when this happens, there’s no reason to panic—your dentist can help! Keep reading to learn more about why veneers sometimes fall off and how you should go about handling the situation.

If you’re looking to keep your child’s smile looking and feeling great year-round, you want to make sure that you’re using the right products. Since February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a local dentist is here to share three helpful items you can use to ensure cavity-free teeth as well as tips that are designed to encourage better oral hygiene at this stage in your child’s life.

If you’re unhappy with the way your teeth look, you’re not alone. Stained, discolored, or gapped teeth are a source of embarrassment for many people, but you can have the smile of your dreams with cosmetic dentistry. However, you can’t just visit your dentist’s office and expect to walk out with perfect teeth. Instead, your dentist will need to check your mouth for any untreated dental concerns, like cavities or gum disease. Although your priority might be the appearance of your teeth, your dentist will initially be more concerned about their health, and here’s why.

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If you’ve been suffering from jaw pain in Ann Arbor, it’s not something that you should ignore! Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which connect your lower jaw to your skull, are arguably the most important and complex joints in your whole body; however, they’re also susceptible to certain problems that can greatly inhibit your quality of life. Here’s a little more about some of the observable symptoms of TMJ disorder, why it’s in your best interest to seek treatment, and how your dentist can help!

Asthma is a remarkably common oral health problem with roughly 252 million people around the world dealing with it on a day-to-day basis. If you have asthma, you’ve probably become pretty adept at managing it. However, you may not necessarily be aware of the way that the condition can affect your oral health. As it turns out, there are some oral health conditions that you may be at much greater risk for. Here’s how asthma can affect your teeth and gums.

Believe it or not, medical insurance and dental insurance are very different. Since they don’t work the exact same way, it can easily confuse people. As a result, you may not fully understand what your dental plan actually covers. Fortunately, a dentist in Ann Arbor has compiled a list of useful tips to help you comprehend the basics of your insurance policy. Continue reading to learn how you can properly navigate your plan!

Are you missing two or more consecutive teeth? Though there is a range of tooth replacement options available, dental bridges repair the look and function of your smile by literally bridging the gap between teeth. The dental bridge lifespan depends heavily on how well you can care for your new smile. Read on to learn about a few different factors that impact the longevity of your dental bridge as well as how you can make it last.