Jay Platt, DDS

Autograft vs. Allograft

So, you were recently told by your doctor that you need a bone graft, but you aren’t quite sure what that means. A bone graft is a surgical procedure that is used to fix bones or joints that were damaged by trauma, and it is also used to replace bone that is missing to provide […]

Oral Cancer Among Men to Increase in 2017

A recent study by the American Cancer Society reports that oral cancer cases in men is expected to increase in 2017 by 4%, while the rate of new cases among women stays the same year over year. “Oral Cancer”, which is a common way to refer to all head and neck cancers, involves cancer of […]

Impacted: Causes for Concern With Wisdom Teeth

Impacted! When you hear this word in our office, it is most likely that we are talking about your wisdom teeth. And while we know that it may sound scary to have “impacted wisdom teeth”, we want you to know that, actually, it is very common. What are Impacted Wisdom Teeth? Throughout evolutionary history, human […]

Immunotherapy and Oral Cancer

You may have heard: Immunotherapy is proving to be very promising in the treatment of a variety of cancers, in particular lung cancer and advanced melanoma. However, immunotherapy has not found its way (yet!) into the treatment regimen for head and neck cancers. What is immunotherapy? Immunotherapy is the process of enlisting the patient’s own […]

Why do we have wisdom teeth anyway?

Wisdom teeth were once an extremely valuable asset to our ancestors. When a typical diet consisted of chewy plants and uncooked meat, third molars (wisdom teeth), which fit easily into our ancestors’ larger jaws, were absolutely necessary. Wisdom teeth were the evolutionary answer to the need for chewing power to combat excessive wear. Today, our […]

The Effects Smoking on Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a cancer that develops within the mouth or oral cavity. But it doesn’t just affect the mouth, it can involve the lips, tongue, throat, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx and sinuses. There are many factors that can cause oral cancer, but smoking is one of the biggest lifestyle choices that can increase the […]

3D Printers and Bone Grafting

There is exciting news in bone grafting technology that will hopefully find its way into the oral surgeon’s office over the next decade! Researchers have been able to create a synthetic bone material using 3D printers that may be better than what is being used now. 3D printers create three-dimensional objects out of a variety […]

Little Medium Big Bone Grafts

Bone grafting is a straightforward procedure that is immensely beneficial for numerous reasons. In the instance of a missing tooth (or teeth), the jaw bone can begin to slowly degrade. The jaw bone holds teeth in place, and once a tooth is no longer present, the bone doesn’t have anything to support. There are different […]