Oahu Dentist Wade Takenishi Introduces New VELscope Techniques to Screen For Oral Cancer

More than 480,000 new cases of oral and mouth cancers are diagnosed every year, with over 35,500 cases right here in the United States. Oral cancer is a growing concern among dentists and oral surgeons, who are seeing cancerous growths develop in a growing number of people from a diverse variety of lifestyles. Oral cancer kills approximately one person every hour, and without proper detection methods, a person can suffer with oral cancer without ever knowing it. This is why early detection and regular dentists appointments are critical to decreasing oral cancer fatalities.

Wade Takenishi, DDS is Oahu’s leading dental office, providing the most progressive dental services to each and every patient. Now, Dr. Takenishi is excited to introduce the VELscope, a new technology that will help provide thorough, painless oral cancer examinations.

The VELscope emits a safe, high energy light which excited the tissues in the oral cavity just beneath the skin’s surface. As the tissue returns to normal energy levels it re-emits the absorbed light energy in the form of fluorescence light. The VELscope then utilizes a special set of optical fibers that enable the clinician to view the different patterns of the tissue, discerning  normal cells from abnormal cells.

Oral cancer is a growing concern but early detection can be the key to avoid serious complications. Visit Wade Takenishi, DDS to screen for abnormalities alongside your next regular check-up. Call Oahu’s leading dental office at (808) 593- 2775 to schedule your next appointment 

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Wade Takenishi, DDS Answers 5 Common Dental Care Questions

As one of Oahu’s best dentists, Wade Takenishi, DDS is a friendly educational resource for families interested in improving their dental health and hygiene. From concerns about daily dental hygiene regimens to the details of intensive periodontal, root planning, scaling, and extraction procedures, Dr. Takenishi is happy to keep patients informed in every aspect of their oral health and answer any questions they may have.

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Have Ill Fitting Dentures?

Many people suffer from ill fitting dentures. This is due to changes in the mouth structure via bone resorption . Dentures remain the same while the mouth continues to go through change. 

Some signs of ill fitting dentures are:

  • Loose dentures
  • Sores from dentures
  • Cracked or broken dentures
  • Trouble eating

To avoid ill fitting dentures, it is important for patients with dentures to have regular dental visits so that adjustments can be made to their denture. 

Some procedures that may be done are:

  • Denture reline - resurfacing the inside of the denture for a perfect fit
  • Denture rebase - replacing broken or cracked teeth with new teeth
  • Fabricating a new denture

Shiny and New

Late last year we remodeled our front office. Thank you to Edward Tang of EST Construction, our patient, who was in charge of the project. We're proud to have a more modern and bright waiting room for our patients which includes a television and artwork from another patient, Jason Enomoto. He captures beautiful water shots.  More of his artwork is displayed at Gaku, a restaurant just down the street from our office.

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End of the Year Reminder - Take Advantage of Your Dental Insurance Benefits

We would like to remind everyone with dental insurance that most dental insurance plans and flex spending accounts will refresh on January first.

Now is the perfect time to call our office to schedule dental cleanings with our hygienist, Sharon, or dental restorations, with Dr Wade Takenishi, before the end of the year. Especially for those who have put off dental work for the end of the year.

Have a cracked filling?

Fillings can crack or break for many reasons and can be sensitive, painful, or you may feel nothing at all. It is important to repair a cracked filling because if left untreated, it could lead to a root canal or worse, losing the tooth. Repairing cracked fillings maintain the longevity and strength of the tooth and adjacent teeth. It also reduces the chance of surrounding teeth from also cracking. Often old fillings can be repaired with tooth color/composite fillings that bond and support the tooth or in more severe cases, a crown.

Cracked filling before and after