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What is a Dental Implant?

While regular brushing, flossing, and checkups allow many of us to maintain our natural smiles for a lifetime, sometimes our teeth just can’t keep up. If you’ve lost a tooth (or a few teeth) due to injury or disease, dental implants can rejuvenate both your smile and your oral health.

An implant is a synthetic tooth root in the shape of a post that is surgically placed into the jawbone. The “root” is usually made of titanium (the same material used in many replacement hips and knees), a metal that is well suited to pairing with human bone. A replacement tooth is then fixed to the post. The tooth can be either permanently attached or removable. Permanent teeth are more stable and feel more like natural teeth.

The ideal candidate for implants is a non­-smoker who has good oral health, including a sufficient amount of bone in the jaw and healthy gums with no sign of gum disease.

9th Annual Veteran’s Day Event

On November 3rd, we held our 9th Annual Veteran’s Day of Care! Thank you to our very deserving veterans, our dedicated team, and the generous local restorative dentists for participating every year. Special thanks to Dr. Neal Solar, Dr. Blayne Gumm, Dr. Ted Chamberlain and Dr. Matthew Burton for your restorative care this year! And special thanks to Dr. Keith Kiskaddon for providing continuous care to several of our vets over the years!

Thanks to our office manager Michelle for being this year’s photographer, the decorations (& lovely flower bouquet), keeping our team well-fed on Friday, and the for the favors our vets from Nothing Bundt Cake!

This is an event that fills our hearts 💕 and that we look forward to every year!

https://youtube.com/shorts/ASLgMcrbdGY?si=TlCTWJRSUip77UAe

We are so excited to introduce our newest team member – Maggie! Maggie will be the first smiling face you will see when you walk in our office. 😊 She will also be one of the pleasant voices you will hear answering our phones!  Maggie has been a gem to get to know and work with. We know you will feel the same way!

Keep Smiling,

Dr. Todd Britten & Team

Effects of Smoking on Dental Surgery

Any medical or dental surgical procedure carries an element of risk for complication and/or failure. Risk factors can greatly vary from patient to patient. Smoking and nicotine use of ANY KIND, including cigarettes, cigars, vaping, marijuana, dipping (smokeless and chewing tobacco) has been documented in scientific literature to delay wound healing and therefore increases the risks of complications and failure.

Complications can include post-operative complications such as pain, swelling and infection. Literature also shows increased risk of implant and bone graft failure and long-term failure of periodontal surgery. We don’t recommend any smoking or vaping two months prior to treatment and recommend not to continue to smoke after treatment because it will hamper healing, may cause failure of the procedure and necessitate retreatment if even possible.

Smoking after extraction can cause a dry socket. Dry socket is a painful dental condition that sometimes happens after you have a tooth removed.  When you smoke, the sucking sensation that comes from inhaling cigarettes can pull the blood clot from the socket. This leaves the nerves exposed and vulnerable to infection. If an infection develops, that leads to a dry socket and severe pain that can last as long as a week.

Toothpaste Sensitivities or Allergies

From Crest.com

What to Do If You Experience a Toothpaste Allergy

If you have an allergic reaction to your toothpaste, swap it for another brand or flavor. The symptoms should go away on their own soon after. However, if symptoms persist or become too severe, see your healthcare professional right away, as it may be a sign of something more serious.

Fortunately, once you recognize which ingredient is causing your allergy, there’s plenty of varieties of toothpaste to choose from. In some cases, a reaction can be the result of sensitivity. Switching to a sensitivity toothpaste can help.

A toothpaste allergy can easily be averted with the right switch, so it never has to hinder your oral hygiene. After you’ve identified the specific cause of your allergy, you’ll be better prepared to pick the right toothpaste for you and avoid the varieties that may trigger an allergic reaction in the future.

What is a Frenectomy

Frenum:  The tissue that connects your cheeks, tongue or lips to your gum area. You have several frenums in your body.

Diastema:  Diastema refers to a gap between your teeth. Gaps can occur anywhere in your mouth, but they’re most common between your two front teeth. This condition is usually a cosmetic concern.

The labial frenum, or muscle attachment connecting  of the upper lip to the gums can be located too “low” which may prevent the front two teeth to touch together, causing a space. An upper lip tie can also affect craniofacial development in severe cases. Typically, the frenum is removed in conjunction with braces to close the gap. If not removed, the frenum may cause the gap to reopen. The procedure to remove a frenum is known as a frenectomy.

A frenectomy is a procedure we performed in our Clearwater, FL office.

When: September 12, 2023- October 26, 2023

Who: All Patients Coming to See Us

What: Best COLLEGE Team Spirit Contest

How to Enter: Wear an item of clothing from the COLLEGE sports team you are the most passionate about to your visit, to have your name placed in a drawing to win $100 Dick’s Sporting Goods Gift Certificate

Tori Removal

What is Tori Removal?

Dental tori are bony growths in the mouth that can cause irritation or discomfort. Sometimes it’s necessary to have tori removed.  

If you feel a bump in your mouth around your teeth, you may have a mandibular torus—a growth of excess bone around your jaw. Tori can be caused by:

  • Genetic factors
  • Teeth grinding (known as bruxism)
  • Stress on the jaw

Often, tori are harmless, but they can cause irritation and make some dental procedures difficult. For example, you may need to have a mandibular torus removed to get fitted for dentures, or if the tori are preventing you from being able to properly clean the inside of your teeth and causing periodontal disease.

Tori dental removal is a process that we perform in our Clearwater, FL office.

Soft Tissue Conditions: Before and After Treatment

Soft Tissue Conditions: Before and After Treatment

A periodontist is mainly concerned with diagnosing and treating soft tissue problems. Some soft tissue conditions include Lichen Planus, Benign Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid, Geographic Tongue, Burning Mouth Syndrome, Aphthous Ulcers and Oral Mucositis from Chemotherapy.

Soft tissue disorders of the mouth are seen in patients of all ages, races and health statuses.

Oral Lichen Planus (or OLP) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease which most commonly affects the skin and the mucous membrane lining or “skin” inside of the mouth, including cheeks and lips. OLP often looks like white lines crossing in a web-like patter on a red background, but can have a few different appearances, and some patients even develop a painful condition where ulcers are present (Ulcerative Lichen Planus).

OLP is caused by an inappropriate production of antibodies against a person’s own oral tissues. OLP affects 0.5-4% of the population globally, affecting women 2:1, often appearing in 50 and 60 year old post-menopausal women. It can affect quality of life, sleep, cause stress to those who have it, and usually persists for life. The lesions of Lichen Planus also have the potential to become malignant.

Oral Lichen Planus can be diagnosed in our practice with examination, and often requires a soft tissue biopsy. Other soft tissue conditions in the mouth can present with similar symptoms, so proper diagnosis is key, If confirmed to be Oral Lichen Planus, his patients are then treated accordingly, often with prescription gels or creams to be used in the mouth.

Pemphigoid is another soft tissue condition we see in our patients. Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a rare chronic autoimmune disorders that can be characterized by blistering lesions that primarily affect the various mucous membranes of the body. The mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes are most often affected.

We often recommend specialty oral rinses, toothpaste and dietary changes to successfully treat soft tissue conditions.

Laser Periodontal Surgery: Before and After

Laser Periodontal Surgery: Before and After

Dr. Todd Britten offers his patients at Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry in Clearwater, Florida, the PerioLase and LANAP® protocol for treatment of periodontal disease. LANAP, or the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, is an alternative to traditional periodontal surgery for the treatment of gum disease. Dr. Britten also offers LAPIP®, the Laser Assisted Peri-Implantitis Procedure, to treat infected and/or save failing dental implants.

Dr. Todd Britten cites that the benefits of laser periodontal dentistry include:

  • Precision

The precise dental laser used in our practice can accurately target and remove harmful bacteria without causing damage to healthy gum tissue.

  • Fast Recovery

Laser surgery involves no incisions and little to no post-operative inflammation. Therefore, patients experience a much faster healing period and often do not need pain medication.

  • Minimal Gum Recession

In traditional gum surgery, gum recession is commonly unavoidable. Laser gum surgery never harms healthy gum tissue, which means there is little to no gum recession.

  • Stronger Support

Laser gum surgery is scientifically proven to generate new bone growth in the jaw, leading to added support for existing teeth.

Using the PerioLase MVP-7 dental laser in both the LANAP and LAPIP protocols, we can effectively target and kills harmful bacteria that causes inflammation around natural teeth or dental implants. Killing the bacteria helps to treat the cause of the disease, not just the symptoms.

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