• (727) 586-2681
  • 1472 Jordan Hills Court, Clearwater, FL 33756

Britten

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Dr. Britten accepts your dental insurance as an out of network provider. What does this mean for you?
 
Understandably, many patients often have questions when it comes to understanding and utilizing dental insurance benefits, especially if extensive dentistry is needed. Dental insurance can provide assistance for dental health care expenses, however, often procedures that are covered often vary widely and the benefit to us is often below the actual cost of treatment.
 
When choosing how to budget for dental health care, or choosing the right benefit plan, it is important to take into consideration the different types of plans available. There are usually two main kinds of insurance plans: group plans or individual plans. A group plan, typically offered by your employer, is often a better value for your money when it comes to dental insurance. These plans have lower premiums and reasonable benefit coverage. Your benefit package can vary greatly depending upon what your employer has negotiated with the insurance company. Group plans often include dental HMOs, PPOs and indemnity plans. It is important to investigate if the plan that you select will allow you to see the doctor you want to see as well as receive the care you deserve. HMO’s typically only let you visit a doctor within your network, whereas a PPO and indemnity plan will still allow you coverage outside the insurance company’s “network”. Another type of plan, an individual plan, is also available. These plans are often more costly in the long run than simply “paying as you go” for your dental care. These plans can have high premiums and restrictive limitations on treatment and reimbursement.
 
As an out-of-network provider, our office can provide a treatment plan that is based on your clinical needs, overall health, financial limitations and desires and preferences. Following an extensive exam, and thorough consultation with Dr. Britten, you can make better decisions for your dental health care that are in your best interest to support lasting oral health:
 
Your periodontal health has an effect on your daily quality of life as well as your overall health. Addressing dental issues in earlier stages will save money in the long run. But no matter if you are experiencing a minor or isolated issue, or a more generalized or even severe issue, Dr. Britten and his staff are dedicated to helping you attain the best possible quality of life through conservative, comprehensive periodontal care. Our goal is to help our patients to restore our patients’ smiles to what was naturally intended: a healthy, natural, beautiful, and functional smile.

Dr. Britten is highly concerned about his patients who smoke. The likelihood of developing advanced periodontal disease or gum disease can be up to six times higher in smokers. Periodontal disease is an extremely serious condition affecting not only the gums, but also the membranes and ligaments and bone supporting the teeth.

Many studies on smoking and periodontal disease have concluded that smokers have:

  • Deeper probing depths and a larger number of deep pockets in the gums.
  • More attachment loss including more gingival recession
  • More alveolar boneloss & tooth loss
  • Less gingivitis and less bleeding on probing
  • One of the major problems with smoking is that it tends to mask the damage being caused to teeth and gums. This damage can be difficult to detect, producing very few early warning signs of advanced periodontal disease.
  • For years it was thought that nicotine being a vasoconstrictor was causing less blood flow to the gums, causing less infection-fighting white blood cells to reach the area. Newer studies are showing that smoking appears to have a long-term effect on the inflammatory lesions, or diseased gums of smokers, which have less blood vessels in them than in non-smokers.
  • More teeth with furcation involvement (where the bone levels have been destroyed below the area where the roots of the teeth meet, leaving this area exposed, making it prone to further destruction as well as decay.
  • Additionally, nicotine affects saliva, causing it to become thicker so it is less able to wash away acid created after eating. As a result, heavy smokers can be more likely to suffer from tooth decay than non-smokers, even though they may practice good oral hygiene.
  • Smoking has a profound effect on the immune and inflammatory system. Smokers have more infection-fighting cells in their body, but fewer of these helpful cells make it into the gingival pocket. Studies also show that these good cells have a decreased ability to accomplish their function, which is to destroy harmful periodontal bacteria.
  • Adhesion molecules are found within smoker’s tissues, in the white blood cells, in the inflammatory lesions, and even in the supporting gingival tissues. Studies have shown impairment in defensive functions of other defensive blood cells, even those using smokeless tobacco due to the high concentrations of nicotine.
  • Smoking also impairs the healing of dental implants and even in the healing from all other aspects of periodontal treatment including non-surgical treatments (including scaling and root planing or “deep cleaning”), surgical treatment, bone grafting and tissue grafting.
  • Studies have shown that tobacco smoke and nicotine affect blood vessels in the gums, healthy bone-building cells, connective tissue matrix, the jaw bone and even the root surface itself. Tooth root surfaces in smokers have actually been shown to be contaminated by products of smoking such as nicotine, cotinine, acrolein and acetaldehyde, which may inhibit the gum tissue from healing around the roots of teeth as they should.
  • Smoking has been shown to affect human bone, and is a risk factor for osteoporosis, which is also a risk factor for periodontal disease.

As a periodontist, Dr. Britten is a specialist in treating advanced periodontal disease and is able to provide patients with the very latest techniques and treatments to help slow down this condition. Where teeth are lost then one option is to replace them with dental implants, but smoking is not advisable during this treatment because it does slow down healing.

If you do currently smoke and value your smile, it’s worth thinking about quitting.

We look forward to your visit!  Please review the below information prior to your visit. 

1. Please call us immediately 727-586-2681 or text us at 727-513-6786 if you have any concerns regarding an exposure you had to COVID 19, positive test or any COVID symptoms you have experienced within 2 weeks of your visit.

For more information on COVID symptoms:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

2. Please wear a mask for all common areas in the office. *Please note, CDC and local authorities are still recommending masks in common areas for medical/dental facilities at this time for both vaccinated and unvaccinated personnel and patients*

3. If you prefer to wait in your car, please call to let us know when you have arrived for your appointment  727-586-2681 or text 727-513-6786. Our reception area is now open, but again, masks are STILL required.

Thank you!
Dr. Todd Britten

From Perio.org

“Nearly one out of every two American adults aged 30 and over has gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gum tissue and bone supporting the teeth. The early stages of periodontal disease are often asymptomatic; many adults may have the disease and not know it.

“Periodontal disease is insidious,” warns Nancy L. Newhouse, DDS, MS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) and a practicing periodontist in Independence, Missouri. “Many people don’t even know they have a problem until it turns into a severe case. Just because your teeth and gums don’t hurt, doesn’t mean your mouth is healthy.”

Over time, inflammation as a result of periodontal disease causes the gums and bones surrounding the teeth to recede….

Symptoms of periodontal disease include:
• Bleeding gums during brushing
• Red, swollen or tender gums
• Gums that have pulled away from the teeth
• Persistent bad breath
• Pus between the teeth and gums
• Loose or separating teeth
• A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite:

Combat periodontal disease with routine brushing and flossing, regular dental hygiene visits (frequency recommended by your dental professional) and a yearly comprehensive periodontal examination.

#brittenperio #clearwaterperiodontist

When you have periodontal disease, space begins to form between your teeth and the gum tissue that surrounds them. This space is called a periodontal pocket. The deeper the pocket, the greater the risk of tooth loss.
 
Your dentist or dental hygienist will perform a full periodontal charting at your visit to check for pocketing, infection (bleeding or pus), gum recession, & bone loss or defects in the bone. #brittenperio #clearwaterperiodontist

A silent disease.

With periodontal disease, you may not feel any discomfort. You may not notice any symptoms. But treating periodontal disease quickly is of the utmost importance.
 
With proper diagnosis and professional instruction from a dentist, you can protect your pearly whites for years to come.
 
Do you think you’re suffering from periodontal disease? Or has it been years since your last checkup?
Then please schedule an appointment with your dentist or periodontist ASAP! #brittenperio #clearwaterperiodontist

Thanks to Metropolitan Ministries, families will find HOPE through receiving much-needed commodities!

Metropolitan Ministries’ greatest holiday food needs are yams, cereal, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and our additional needs are canned beans, soup, rice, boxed/canned potatoes, gravy, and dessert mixes.

The greatest toy needs are “teen” toys with a focus on Ages 10 – 12 (boys and girls), and our additional age group needs: 0-2, 3-9, and 13-17 (boys and girls).

Please drop off your donations from October 11th-November 18th at our office at:

1472 Jordan Hills Court
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-586-2681

#BeHope #InspireHope

We look forward to your visit!  Please review the below information prior to your visit. 

1. Please call us immediately 727-586-2681 or text us at 727-513-6786 if you have any concerns regarding an exposure you had to COVID 19, positive test or any COVID symptoms you have experienced within 2 weeks of your visit.

For more information on COVID symptoms:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

2. Please wear a mask for all common areas in the office. *Please note, CDC and local authorities are still recommending masks in common areas for medical/dental facilities at this time for both vaccinated and unvaccinated personnel and patients*

3. Please call to let us know when you have arrived for your appointment  727-586-2681 or text 727-513-6786
****(HOWEVER, if you have a 8 am appointment Mon-Wed or a 7 am appointment on Thursday, come right in!)****

Thank you!
Dr. Todd Britten

Bacteria in our mouths are constantly creating plaque. If bacterial plaque on the teeth isn’t removed, the gums can become infected and inflamed.
 
– Plaque builds up and gum tissue becomes infected. Redness, tenderness, swelling and bleeding may occur, but are not always present.
 
-Pockets deepen between teeth and gums. Gums pull away from the teeth while bacteria begin to damage supporting structures.
 
-Infection spreads around teeth. Bones, gums, and connective tissue can be permanently damaged, and teeth may need to be removed.
If you think that you may be suffering from early, moderate or severe periodontal disease, contact your dental professional ASAP!

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