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Did you know...

A narwhale "tusk" is actually an elongated upper left canine?!?

We're glad that our canines haven't had any extreme growth spurts! Happy Toothsday!

Dr. Richard G. Jacques, an avid runner, has completed over 45 marathons, a majority of which are the Boston Marathon, which he has run nineteen times. On April 15, 2013, he had just completed an important personal goal of running the Boston Marathon 10 years in a row when he was alerted to the bombing attacks on the course.

The people of Boston and the marathon itself, which Dr. Jacques considers among the most prestigious and challenging races, hold a special place in his heart. In the aftermath of last year's marathon, he never considered not returning to run again for the 11th consecutive year. As the anniversary of the attacks approached, he was asked by The Greenville News to reflect on last year and on his return to Boston; below is an excerpt from the newspaper article. The complete online version can be found here.

We are extremely proud of Dr. Jacques for all that he has accomplished and for his determination in maintaining the "Boston Strong" attitude. We applaud him as he looks forward to his 20th Boston Marathon next year!

From Chris McMahon of The Greenville News on April 21, 2014. Photo by Heidi Heilbrunn.  

Greenville dentist Dr. Richard Jacques remembers how beautiful Boston was during the early hours of last year’s marathon.

He’ll never forget how the race ended.

Jacques had just completed his 10th straight Boston Marathon when he walked to his room at the Taj Boston on the corner of Arlington and Newbury streets -- about three blocks from the finish line.

He says he returned quickly to his room to relax and see his wife, Mary Jane, and daughter, Amy, who made the trip from New York City by train. Jacques also remembers a quickly changing scene from his view overlooking a public garden.

“We had the windows open because it was a pretty afternoon,” Jacques said. “I can’t remember an instance hearing the bombs, but what I did hear were a whole lot of sirens.

“Suddenly there were all of these sirens and police. The streets were swarming with police and SWAT teams. There were policemen on horseback ... soldiers with AK-47s. It turned into a completely different scene.”

Later he learned of the twin bombings that left three dead and injured 264 others.

He’s competing in the race again this year -- today will mark his 19th time -- and says there was no hesitation in his decision to make the trip.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “That was not even an idea in my head.

“I’ve had patients ask me ‘Oh, are you going back?’ And my first response was ‘It will be the safest place to be.’

“The incident wasn’t going to deter me. The city of Boston just embraces this whole weekend and the runners feel so welcomed up there.”

Jacques runs year-round and says he likes to compete in three marathons a year. “Two in the fall and then I like to run Boston. It’s the oldest and most prestigious.”

Last year Jacques, 60, finished with a time of 3 hours, 52 minutes. His personal best for a 26.2-mile race is 3:13 and his first year running in Boston was back in 1989 when he says there were about 6,500 entries. This year the field will swell to about 36,000 competitors.

According to the Boston Athletic Association’s website, today’s race also will have 10,000 volunteers and 3,500 uniformed police officers.

...

Jacques isn’t making any changes to his routine. He left Friday for a short car ride to Charlotte where he boarded a flight to Boston’s Logan International Airport. He plans to return to Greenville on Tuesday.

He notes other changes have been made for safety concerns. Jacques says bags to hold the extra clothing worn for the cool-morning bus ride from Boston to Hopkinton will not be permitted.

The extra layer of clothes is usually returned and waiting for the runners near the finish line. This year Jacques says clothing will be discarded at the starting line and given to the homeless in the area.

But Jacques welcomes the changes that come with this year’s race. He’s been there for some of the marathon’s highlights, including its 100th anniversary in 1996, the race at the turn of the century, and, in 2012 when he said the field ran in the second hottest Boston Marathon on record.

“Each (Boston Marathon) is special,” he said. “You get to learn the course. I’ve made a lot of friends. It’s a real meaningful trip.

It’s a pleasant experience and I’m going to keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore.”

It's time to focus on Oral Cancer this month. At Jacques Dentistry, we routinely perform oral cancer screenings on all of our patients. Early detection is the key! The statistics on oral cancer unfortunately have not improved -- mainly due to the common incidence of late diagnosis.

Here are some alarming facts about oral cancer:

Over 43,000 people will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year.

Oral cancer will cause over 8,000 deaths this year, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day.

Of those 43,000 individuals newly diagnosed this year, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years.

The death rate associated with oral cancer is particularly high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development.

The advent of HPV is preventing early discovery of oral cancer. HPV particularly affects the posterior part of the mouth (oropharynx, tonsils, base of tongue), which often does not produce visible lesions or discolorations that are the typical warning signs of the disease.

For individuals over 50 years old, tobacco (in any form) is the greatest risk factor. Historically, at least 75% of diagnosed patients over 50 years old have been tobacco users. HOWEVER, this statistic is changing with the advent of viral causes.

Those who use tobacco and heavily consume alcohol have a significant increased risk of oral cancer (15x greater risk), due to the detrimental synergistic effects.

Be on the lookout for any sores or discolored areas in your your mouth that do not heal within 14 days. It is best to have these areas examined by your dentist. Also be aware of any lumps or masses in the mouth or neck, pain or difficulty swallowing, speaking, or chewing, wart-like masses, hoarseness which lasts for a long time, or any numbness in the oral-facial region. A persistent earache in one ear can also be a symptom.

Be aware of signs and symptoms in your body and don't hesitate to get screened by your Greenville SC dentist at Jacques Dentistry! Early detection is the key!

We see plenty of patients in Greenville SC who slack on flossing their teeth, and everyone at Jacques Dentistry can't stress enough just how important flossing is! If you are only brushing your teeth, then you aren't cleaning the sides of the teeth where they touch each other. Leaving plaque and food debris between the teeth leads to cavities and gum disease.

So, are you ready to floss? Ok. Well, lets make sure that you are doing it the correct way!

1. First, take out about 18 inches, or an arm's length of floss. Wrap it around your middle fingers.

2. Then pinch about an inch length of floss between your thumbs and index fingers.

3. Glide the floss between your teeth in a smooth motion. Do not snap the floss, which can injure your gums.

4. Slide the floss between the tooth and gums in a C-shape, hugging the tooth and slipping just below the gumline. Slide the floss down the first tooth and back up the side of the next tooth before removing it.

5. Move to the next teeth and repeat!

If you are out of practice, you may find it easier to start with your front teeth so that you can see what you are doing. The back teeth are flossed more by feel. If you have a hard time reaching your hands around your back teeth, make sure that you are not opening your mouth too wide. Closing a little and relaxing your cheeks allows you to retract them easier and give you more working room. Don't get frustrated -- you will get the hang of it!

And if you see bleeding, do not take that as a sign that you should stop flossing! In fact, it is the opposite! Bleeding gums indicates that you haven't been cleaning around your gums as well as you should: left behind plaque causes inflammation of the gums and bleeding. So keep flossing, and all that bleeding will go away within a couple weeks.

Ok, we think you're ready now. Keep calm and floss on!