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Serving those who have served our country!

Dr. Todd M. Britten and the team at Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is gearing up for their 3rd annual Free Dental Day for Veterans.  The event is scheduled for November 3rd, 2017. “We all know someone who has served or is currently serving in the military.  We have heard stories, we have seen families living apart during deployments, we have seen veterans with disabilities both physical and emotional, we have seen families devastated by the loss of loved ones.  Veterans make the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” said Dr. Todd Britten.  “Many of us ask ourselves, ‘What can we do?’, ‘How can we make a difference?’”

Dr. Britten said that is exactly what he asked himself in 2015.  He and his team were brainstorming idea for how they could use their skill set to pay it forward to others in the Clearwater community.  “Both of my grandfathers served in World War II and I remember hearing stories both from them and my grandmothers about what life was like during those times.  The sacrifices made by veterans and their families are truly astounding.  I was aware that dental coverage for veterans was very hard to attain, so we hit the ground running trying to deliver periodontal care to as many veterans as we could.”

Jennifer Daly, a surgical assistant at the practice served in the Airforce, “I am very proud of my service to my country and I am even more proud of this dental work that we are doing for my fellow veterans.”

The inaugural year the Clearwater, FL based periodontal practice provided over $10,000 worth of comprehensive dental treatment to a group of veterans, the following year over $15,000, “As word has gotten out, we have had an incredible response from the community and even were able to get the skilled and compassionate restorative dentists at Clearwater Dental Associates, Dr. Jim Hayslett, Dr. Keith Kiskadden and Dr. Matt Burton on board to help out with our event.” Stated Britten.  “Having the Dentists and staff at CDA involved enables us to provide more comprehensive care to our veterans.  Being a periodontist, my specialty is really the surrounding structures of the teeth; roots, gum and bone.  My job is to help with the foundation.  Having the restorative specialists at CDA involved helps us to treat the whole mouth and really deliver comprehensive care to these veterans.”

For Britten and his team this event is something they look forward to all year long.  They even keep in touch with many of the veterans.  “What I’ve enjoyed the most about this event over the past two years is the friends that we have made.  My respect for servicemen and women has simply increased.  Hearing their stories and getting to be a part of their health journey has been a very rewarding experience.”

This sentiment was mirrored by everyone on Britten’s team, “This is such a feel good event.  I really enjoy getting to know all of the veterans. Their stories will bring tears to your eyes, and we are all so grateful to be able to pay it forward,” stated Ellen Byrd, a registered dental hygienist who has been in charge of scheduling and planning the event.  “We have been working closely with the Community Dental Clinic, the Homeless Emergency Project, and social workers from local V.A. Branches.

Britten Periodontics and Implant Dentistry is currently doing initial exams on veterans to get them scheduled for treatment.  “If you know of any veteran in serious need of dental care, please get in touch with their office right away, as these spaces are filling up quickly,” Ellen Byrd said.

Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is a periodontal practice offering patients personalized dental care in implant dentistry in Clearwater, Florida. Dr. Todd Britten received his Bachelor of Science & Doctorate of Dental Surgery from University of Florida, a Master’s Degree and Certificate in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry; and completed extensive training at the Institute of Advanced Laser Dentistry. He is one of the only board-certified periodontists in Pinellas County. He is a member of the American Academy of Periodontology, American Dental Association, Florida Association of Periodontists, Upper Pinellas County Dental Association, Hillsborough County Dental Association, Hillsborough County Dental Research Association and Florida West Coast Dental Association.

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LAPIP, Amazing Technology to Save Your Dental Implants

If you have dental implants, you’re expecting them to last a many years, or perhaps a lifetime. In most cases they do, giving patients a fully restored, beautiful, functional smile. Experts estimate between 3-20% of implants fail. This is often due to peri-implantitis – which is a threat to the lifespan of dental implants. Peri-implantitis is gum disease around an implant that is not reversible without intervention by a periodontist or dental implant specialist.

DISEASE AROUND IMPLANTS MIMICS PERIODONTAL DISEASE

There are two categories of complications with implants: Peri-Implant Mucositis and Peri-Implantitis.

Peri-Implant Mucositis:  This condition is similar to gingivitis around a natural tooth and does not include loss of attachment (bone or gum tissue) and is hopefully reversible at this stage.  Peri-Implant Mucositis is a reversible inflammatory reaction in the soft tissues surrounding a functioning implant.  Treating this condition as soon as possible will prevent peri-implantitis!

Peri-Implantitis:  This is a condition similar to periodontitis with loss of supporting structures (gum and/or bone) around a natural tooth.  Peri-Implantitis is a destructive inflammatory reaction affecting the soft (gingiva) and hard (bone).

Signs/Symptoms of moderate-advanced Peri-Implantitis

SWELLING IN THE GUMS

IMPLANT MOBILITY

BLEEDING GUMS

CHANGE IN GUM COLOR SURROUNDING IMPLANT

 HIGH GUM SENSITIVITY

IMPLANT EXPOSURE (GUM RECESSION PREVENTS ADHERENCE TO THE IMPLANT OR CROWN SURFACE)

MILD TO SEVERE PAIN AROUND IMPLANT SITE

EXCRETION OF PUS FROM THE IMPLANTS SURROUNDING TISSUES

The good news is that peri-implantitis is treatable, especially if the infection is treated early. In order to help patients catch peri-implantitis, your Clearwater periodontist, Dr. Todd Britten is sharing what peri-implantitis is and how it can be treated with laser surgical therapy, or the LAPIP procedure.

Peri-implantitis is a bacterial infection of the gum and bone around the implant.

LAPIP® is a minimally-invasive method of laser gum disease treatment for implants that helps regenerate healthy tissue instead of destroying it. For most people who have dental implants, LAPIP® is simply the best solution for gum disease around implants, also known as “peri-implantitis”.

Peri-implantitis is an infection that has much in common with periodontitis, or advanced gum disease. With both diseases, the gums and supporting structures in your mouth are infected and become inflamed. As these diseases progress, pockets of bacteria form below the gum line, creating protected spaces which harbor bacteria and debris, exacerbating the infection. Severe cases of both peri-implantitis and periodontitis lead to bone loss, which can compromise the stability of your teeth or your implant.

If you think you have gum disease, you will need to seek treatment, since both periodontitis and peri-implantitis are progressive diseases which cannot be treated at home. The same daily hygiene used to avoid gum disease can be used to protect against peri-implantitis. You should brush and floss every day, and schedule regular checkups with your dentist, dental implant specialist and periodontist. Finally, certain lifestyle choices, like tobacco use, can increase the risk of gum infections.

Periodontal disease is common, peri-implantitis is less common, occurring in around 1 out of 10 implant recipients. Peri-implantitis is also different from periodontitis because it’s harder to diagnose early. Many patients don’t know they have an infection until serious symptoms develop. More often, peri-implantitis is detected through an x-ray during a regular checkup.

There are several treatment options for peri-implantitis. Surgery or laser procedures are the most common, and of the two, laser treatment is by far the least invasive. LAPIP is similar to LANAP, the procedure used to treat periodontitis. LAPIP, however, is designed to target infection around dental implants.

First, a laser is inserted beneath the gums at the base of the implant, where it targets and destroys bacteria and infected tissue. Ultrasonic tools are then used to remove any remaining bacteria and to make sure the implant is 100% free from dangerous debris. The laser is inserted below the gum line one more time to eliminate any surviving bacteria, and the gums are encouraged to heal around the implant again.

LAPIP treatment offers many important benefits. First, it is less invasive than surgery and does not destroy any healthy gum tissue. The laser is specifically designed to only target infected tissue. This treatment is also quick and effective. Finally, the laser works to stimulate gum and bone growth, allowing your natural bone to increase in both density and mass without a bone graft, protecting the security of your implant for years to come.

Sometimes, the gum tissue surrounding an implant can become thin, and expose the threads of the implant surface below. In this case, Dr. Britten has developed a state-of the-procedure which combines use of the PerioLase laser to destroy bacteria, decontaminate the implant surface and surrounding tissues, and reduce inflammation. Dr. Britten can then perform a procedure to graft tissue around the implant in such a way as to cover the exposed portion of the implant, however, the main objective is to re­establish the protective barrier or layer of the gum around the implant.

If you have implants and think you have peri-implantitis, please contact us immediately. We at Britten Periodontics are committed to providing our patients with the highest level of care available.

What We’ve Been Up to: Lecturing at UF

On June 2nd, Dr. Britten was honored to lecture at the UF College of Dentistry this week with his brother Dr. Nick Britten. They spoke about how important it is for restorative dentists to work together with their periodontist.  Here at Britten Periodontics, we pride ourselves on our interdisciplinary treatment approach. What does this mean? No one can be great at every aspect of dentistry; there’s so much involved – fillings, cleanings, crowns/bridges, extractions, root canals, implants, grafts, sinus lifts, etc. Therefore, we work cohesively with the best dentists, prosthodontists, orthodontists, endodontists, oral surgeons, to provide our patients with the best care possible. We are proud to work with a team of dentists that focuses on the area that they are trained and most skilled at and work together to provide the best care. The advantages? We strongly believe our patients will receive a higher quality of care and better end result.

Just as you would see a medical specialist for a heart procedure, a mammogram, or a biopsy, we believe patients should see a dental specialist for certain procedures such as grafting, implants and periodontal therapy.

By working with other dentists and specialists, we provide a system of mutual quality control. Our work is constantly viewed and critiqued by other members of the dental community. Together, we hold each other to the highest quality of care possible.

#brittenperio #clearwaterperiodontist #gatorperio — with Meg Britten, Nick Britten, Cody Bertoch andTodd Britten.

 The Drs. Britten, Meg and the kids had such a fun day and got to spend some time with our favorite future dentist, Cody P. Bertoch!!

What We’ve Been Up To: 2017 Bucket List Challenge

March 20th was International Day of Happiness, founded by United Nations advisor Jayme Illien on June 28th, 2012. International Day of Happiness recognizes the pursuit of happiness is a human right and a fundamental human goal.

The team here at Britten Periodontics wanted to invite everyone to spread the “happy”!

We are individually creating a “bucket list” and throughout 2017 we will each cross off a goal and post our accomplishments.  We began in March with none other than our favorite periodontist, Dr. Britten himself!

MARCH 2017 – Dr. Todd Britten: Play Hockey!

“I’ve always admired the game of ice hockey with its physicality, hand eye coordination, and speed and grace on the ice. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an option when I was growing up. in Florida ice rinks were not very accessible. I’m a huge lightning fan and these past few years I’ve really wanted to try and learn how to play. With this bucket/goal list we are doing at our office, I thought this might be the perfect time to try.

I made sure to practice several times before joining in on a men’s league game. The game was intimidating and very challenging (I only fell a few times) but I really had a blast…and an excellent cheering section! The NHL players make it look so easy. Most importantly though, I felt like I was part of a team and I got to check off ‘one of those things I’ve always wanted to do.’

I hope everyone makes the most out of 2017 and can do the same!”

APRIL 2017 – Meg Britten:  Refinish a piece of furniture!

For the month of April we had Dr. Britten’s wife, Meg. She will definitely inspire you to do something creative!

“For my bucket list challenge I decided to refinish a piece of furniture….All by myself. ?Yes, I’ll admit I am notorious for buying a neat piece of furniture on Craigslist (by neat I mean one that is basically falling a part and needs a lot of TLC) bringing it home and needing my husband to help me because I don’t even know where to start!

So here we are, bucket list challenge time and I found a vintage high chair on Craigslist…fate? I thought so. Lots of sanding, painting, lacquering, youtube tutorial watching later, and voila! Now Everett has a beautiful high chair and it’s ready for his 1st Birthday celebration next month. We did a “practice” run. He seems pretty excited about it. It feels good to check something off of my list and I learned a lot in the process!”

May 2017 – Surgical Assistant Alexis: Overcome a fear of heights

Our bucket list for May was our lovely dental assistant, Lexi, who overcame her fear of heights this past weekend at Vertical Ventures in Carrollwood. Fear of heights is one of the most common phobias that an estimated 3-5% of our population suffer from. We are so proud of you Lexi!

Stay tuned for the rest of our Bucket List Challenge as the rest of our team checks something fun off their list!

Follow us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ClearwaterPeriodontist/

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What we’ve been up to: Britten Perio Seminar: Periodontal Maintenance of Dental Implants

On February 16th, we had the pleasure of hosting a seminar “Periodontal Maintenance of Dental Implants” with many local dental professionals. Dental implants have become the standard of excellence in tooth replacement. As is the case with natural teeth, patients and their dental professionals must work as a team to ensure the longevity of their dental implant.

Our educational seminar discussed the latest techniques and technologies available to help dental professionals monitor maintain the health of their patients’ dental implants. The seminar reviewed how dental professionals can help their patients achieve long-term implant health through state of the art monitoring techniques, regular professional dental hygiene care and patient oral hygiene education. It also reviewed fixtures of the many different implant systems (old and new) that exist as well as the most accepted and current methods of patient and professional maintenance.

Dental professionals realize that there are many variations of dental implant designs available, and an ever-increasing population of patients living with dental implants. As an expert in dental implant placement and dental implant health, Dr. Britten felt was important to share with his colleagues and their teams a continuing education course specific to dental implant care. “Dental implants are complex, sophisticated dental devices, and it is important that we as implant experts continuously stay educated on modern monitoring methods.” – Dr. Todd Britten

Dr. Gregory Oxford, a periodontist of 34 years and one of Dr. Britten’s professors at University of Florida and Dentsply-Sirona, a leader in dental products and the dental implant system Ankylos, partnered with Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry to provide a great continuing education course. The event was catered by Stephanie and Allie with Empamamas Food Truck. The food and service were spectacular! The Sweet Life Bakery even provided dental themed cookies for the event. So as always, we partnered learning with some food and some good food!

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What We’ve Been Up to: Britten Perio Community Service (Habitat for Humanity)

Our staff had a wonderful time volunteering at a home building project for the Habitat for Humanity last week! What a rewarding and educational experience. We spent the day with Mike and Bill, some of the handiest and most patient site supervisors ever! We caulked, cut and hung shelving units and cut and installed baseboards. The family will be moving in at the end of the month!

The Pinellas branch is #14 out of 1,400 branches worldwide as far as home building and services to the community. For every home they build in Pinellas they also donate $4,600 to Malawi and Guatemala to build homes there. Habitat Pinellas has been creating opportunities for homeownership for low income people and families in our community and internationally since 1985. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity or how to get involved check out their website:

www.habitatpinellas.org

Thank you Habitat of Pinellas it was an honor to volunteer with you!

#brittenperio#habitatpinellas#lovetogive#learnedsomehandyskills

New Advancements in Technology for Dental Implants

Dental implants today are not only considered the gold standard of care for tooth replacement, but they are usually now considered to be the superior or ideal treatment option for damaged or lost teeth.  We are excited about the many advancements in implant planning, placement and technology.

A major advancement has come in the form of improved imaging and planning of dental implants.  ConeBeam CT scans give an efficient, ultra-low radiation image that allows the surgeon excellent information about the surgical site.  This is often combined with computer software to plan the exact location of the dental implants, which is then used to make a surgical guide.  “This amazing technology takes virtually all human error out of the process.  We can practice planning the dental implants on the computer model before the patient comes in.  We can even plan for the location and shape of the final tooth,” says Dr. Todd Britten.

Implant sizes, materials and systems continue to improve. The titanium ally used in dental implants now allows for more compact and biocompatible implants while still providing the needed strength to resist the strong bite forces of the mouth. Implant-supported dentures have also come a long way, and many times four implants can be used to retain a complete upper or lower denture.

Materials to provide bone support are also continuously improving.  After the loss of one or more teeth, the jawbone will deteriorate or lose support where the tooth or teeth used to be.  Ridge augmentation uses bone and tissue-grafting procedures to fill in the area where jaw bone has been lost, leaving more bone and better support for dental implant placement.

Guided bone regeneration for ridge augmentation has been found to be very predictable. Synthetic growth factors have used for this procedure have improved and we can also use our patient’s own blood to produce materials rich in growth factors, such as L-PRF.

In summary, the advances in implant dentistry allowing us to plan our implant placements better, regenerate lost bone more predictably, and place implants with more accuracy and into more sites than ever before. It is exciting to think of what is coming in the future of dental implant placement, all with less patient discomfort and risk.

As an implant specialist, Dr. Britten is highly trained and experienced in the most advanced and current technologies used for long-term implant health and success. He believes in using the best diagnostic tools as well as the highest quality implants in his practice. Dr. Britten works closely with the best restorative dentists in the Tampa Bay area to obtain the best possible outcome for his patients’ implants. For more information, contact us at 727-586-2681.  

Clearwater Periodontist to Host Second Annual Veterans Day Event

Dr. Todd M. Britten and his staff at Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry are gearing up for their 2nd annual Free Dental Day for Veterans. The event will be held in Dr. Britten’s Clearwater office on Friday November 11, 2016.

Last year was the inaugural event and it was a great success. Dr. Britten, his staff, as well as volunteers from Clearwater Dental Associates and Britten Dental Associates worked together to provide four very deserving veterans with periodontal and general dental care. When asked about the previous event Dr. Britten said, “It was such a great feeling to help these patients’ oral health improve and help them keep teeth that they were in danger of losing. Veterans and their families make so many sacrifices for us all and we were so honored we were able to give something back to them.”

For one veteran in particular, treatment included IV sedation (due to the need for extensive treatment and intense dental phobia), extraction of all of this patient’s remaining teeth which were badly broken and excessive bone growth throughout his mouth. Dr. Jim Hayslett of Clearwater Dental helped Dr. Britten restore this patient’s smile with complete upper and lower dentures. Dr. Britten stated, “All he wanted to do again was eat a steak dinner. We were able to get a patient out of pain and help him to be able to chew again and smile with confidence.”

Dr. Britten and his staff have been working with The Community Dental Clinic to match patients with periodontal needs with the Clearwater Periodontist’s office. Allison Sapiega, the executive director at the clinic stated, “The Community Dental Clinic has enjoyed the privilege of working with Britten Periodontics for the last few years on their Free Dental Event for Veterans. We are so proud to call them a community partner as we strive together to serve those that fall into the dental services gap. Nearly 95% of veterans are without dental coverage, so events like Britten Periodontics’ Free Dental Day for Veterans are imperative in serving those that have served us.”

Dr. Todd Britten explained how glad he is to be doing this the second year in a row and would like to do it annually for the entirety of his career. When asked why this is a cause so near and dear to his heart he stated that his grandfathers and uncles served in the military and giving back to veterans in need is a top priority for him. Dr. Britten said, “The entire staff at Britten Periodontics is so grateful to the men and women in the military that make so many sacrifices for our freedom. We are happy to host this annual event, and hope to do it for many years to come.”Screenshot_2016-09-05-08-39-28[17758]

Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is a periodontal practice offering patients personalized dental care in implant dentistry in Clearwater, Florida. Dr. Todd Britten received his Bachelor of Science & Doctorate of Dental Surgery from University of Florida, a Master’s Degree and Certificate in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry; and completed extensive training at the Institute of Advanced Laser Dentistry. He is one of the only board-certified periodontists in Pinellas County. He is a member of the American Academy of Periodontology, American Dental Association, Florida Association of Periodontists, Upper Pinellas County Dental Association, Hillsborough County Dental Association, Hillsborough County Dental Research Association and Florida West Coast Dental Association.

To learn more about Dr. Britten and his dental services visit his website at https://brittenperio.com or call (727) 586-2681.

Clearwater Periodontist Provides Complimentary Dental Care to Veterans

With the help of several volunteers, Dr. Todd Britten recently coordinated a free day of dental care for local veterans.

With the help of several volunteers, Dr. Todd Britten recently coordinated a free day of dental care for local veterans. Dr. Britten stated this was a cause close to his heart. Both of his grandfathers served in World War II, one having stormed the beaches of Normandy and the other was stationed in the Pacific. Two of Dr. Britten’s uncles served in Vietnam, along with close family friends who are currently serving in the military.

“I have always respected the sacrifices that our veterans and their whole families had to make to ensure our safety and freedom. The sacrifices are really innumerable,” said Dr. Britten.

veterans jsmith

Many dental professionals in the community reached out to help – hygienists, dental assistants, general dentists and other dental professionals willing to donate their time and resources to provide free dental care to veterans in need. The Community Dental Clinic of Clearwater and the local Clearwater VFW branch helped coordinate the care of veterans in need.
The event was held in Dr. Britten’s Clearwater periodontal office on November 5th and 6th. Volunteers came from his practice as well as Dr. Jim Hayslett from Clearwater Dental Associates and Britten Dental Associates in Lutz. Four veterans were seen for periodontal and restorative procedures, including IV sedation for two of the more extensive procedures.

One patient who received treatment was John Smith, who served in the US Navy in Vietnam from 1965-1969. Dr. Britten explained that he was honored to be able to help Mr. Smith. The VFW Post 2473 in Clearwater where Mr. Smith serves as canteen manager does much to help local veterans. Mr. Smith stated that his local branch recently fed over 100 VA patients and raised over $15,000 for homeless veterans and participated in additional fundraising for Cancer Research.

When asked what this event meant to him, Smith stated, “I get to keep my teeth and I can’t believe it’s free.”

Dr. Britten said it was all about showing our appreciation for the sacrifices that our veterans have made. This was the first event of its kind for Dr. Britten and his staff and he is hoping it will be the first of many. His practice, Britten Periodontics and Implant Dentistry would like to make this an annual event.

For more information, go to https://brittenperio.com or call the office at (727) 586-2681.

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