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

COVID 19 UPDATE 4/28/20

Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe
and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to
keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA) www.ada.org, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control.html and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/standards.html. We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help
protect our patients and staff. For example:

• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be
asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find
some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
• You may see that our reception area will no longer offer magazines or other reading materials,
since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean
that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well
as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 727-586-2681.

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Sincerely,
Dr. Todd Britten and Team

What to do when a tooth is lost to extraction

Careful management of extraction sockets after a tooth is removed prevents unsightly bone loss and provides a better cosmetic outcome for tooth replacement. To increase the possibility of future implant placement, and to prevent more bone resorption, a ridge preservation procedure may be recommended. Without the use of a bone graft and collagen barrier at the time of extraction, studies show that 30-40% of the jaw bone is immediately lost. This is because your body perceives that once the root is removed, the bone is no longer needed and your body absorbs or removes it, creating a ridge deformity.

These ridge deformities leave you with inadequate bone and tissue thickness for either bridge or dental implant restoration. The defects may have been caused by trauma, developmental defects, periodontal disease, the wearing of dentures, or through previous tooth loss.
Ridge augmentation procedures have been shown to greatly enhance the cleansability and appearance of your restorations. They increase your chance for long term successful dental restoration, both esthetically and functionally. Ridge augmentation procedures may be performed with gum tissue and/or bone grafting materials.

For more info on our surgical procedures, visit:

Surgical Procedures

or contact us!

[iphorm id=”3″ name=”Contact form”]

Easy Ways to Protect Your Smile During Quarantine

  1. Clean BETWEEN your teeth daily – gum disease and deep pocketing often starts BETWEEN the teeth!
  2. Brush your teeth gently to avoid dental abrasion to the teeth and gum recession. 4 minutes with a manual brush, 2 minutes with a powerbrush such as the Sonicare Powerbrush.
  3. Prevent Dental Erosion by limiting acidic beverages such as soda (even Diet soda is highly acidic).
  4. Avoid eating VERY hard foods to avoid fracturing or chipping teeth.

COVID-19: Your Health is Our Top Priority

To Our Dear Patients and Community,

Your health is our top priority, and we appreciate the trust you place in us. The COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our daily lives is rapidly evolving. Dr. Britten and his team are keeping up to date with the most current information and resources from the Centers for Disease Control, American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, Florida Department of Health, OSHA, National Institute of Health and Florida legislature. We await their guidance to help navigate our patients and practice through this unprecedented time.

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommended on March 16 that dentists restrict their practices to all but urgent and emergency care. On March 20th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered all dental offices in our state to postpone all elective dental procedures until May 8th. Our expectations are that this may extend further, and we are rescheduling patients into June at this time.

Conditions that would be considered urgent/emergent would include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Moderate to severe pain and/or soreness
  • Swelling of your gums, face, or neck
  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Signs of infection
  • Trauma
  • Medically necessary procedures to treat pain, infection, disease, or the likely potential thereof

If you experience a dental emergency, Dr. Britten is readily available to take care of any dental advice or emergency care. You can reach us via phone at 727-586-2681 on Monday and Thursday, and after hours and all other days at 813-493-1250 (text or call).

The safety of  our patients and all dental team members has been and always will be always be our greatest concern. We are eagerly awaiting any reopening protocols from the experts and authorities for our office. We will continue to update and educate our staff, patients and community on any and all safety guidelines and treatment protocols as they become established.

Thank you

Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry

Dr. Todd Britten is saving teeth with laser technology

Our office offers a minimally ­invasive periodontal surgery procedure called the LANAP protocol.

Gum disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that destroys the tissue and bone around the teeth. If left untreated, the disease can lead to receding gums, loss of bone, and ultimately tooth loss.

Dr. Britten has received intensive training in the LANAP protocol by the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry. The LANAP protocol is the only laser periodontitis treatment scientifically and clinically proven to regenerate soft tissue and bone. The surgery is performed here in our practice with the only laser specifically designed for the LANAP protocol ­­ the PerioLase MVP­7.

What is LANAP?
The LANAP protocol is the only laser periodontitis treatment that is cleared by the U.S. FDA and is clinically and historically proven to regenerate new gum, tissue, ligament and bone
Who is a candidate for LANAP laser surgery?

Patients with moderate ­to severe gum disease can especially benefit from the LANAP protocol. The LANAP protocol is also an excellent treatment option for patients who are fearful of conventional scalpel surgery and patients taking certain medications, such as blood thinners. It is important to state however, that not every patient is a candidate for laser surgery, it all depends on the individual. Dr. Britten will thoroughly explore all options to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Getting a beautiful smile with cosmetic crown lengthening

Unhappy with the appearance of a “gummy” smile? You may be a good candidate for a procedure called cosmetic crown lengthening.

This periodontal procedure is designed to expose more tooth structure prior to restorative and cosmetic dentistry and/or to improve the esthetics of your gum line. A frequently asked question is whether we can change the esthetics of a gummy smile because the teeth appear somewhat short. Your teeth can actually be of proper length and just covered with excessive gum tissue. In such circumstances, a crown lengthening procedure will correct this by exposing the shape of your natural teeth.

Crown lengthening can also be done to single teeth to “even out” your gum line and create a more symmetrical smile.

If your teeth are decayed, fractured at or below the gum line or have insufficient tooth structure for new crown retention, a “Clinical crown lengthening” procedure may be recommended by Dr. Britten to enable your general dentist to perform a restorative and/or cosmetic dental procedure.

How tissue grating can protect and save your teeth

When recession of the gum tissue occurs, the body loses a natural defense against both bacterial penetration and trauma. When gum recession is a problem, gum reconstruction using grafting techniques is an excellent option.
When there is only minor recession, some healthy gum tissue often remains and protects the tooth, so that no treatment other than modifying home care practices is necessary. However, when no firm gum tissue remains, this leaves the roots of the teeth and the underlying bone relatively unprotected, which could result in root sensitivity, bacterial penetration, decay and even loss of teeth.

A gingival graft is designed to address these problems. A thin piece of tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth or gently moved over from adjacent areas to provide a stable band of attached gum tissue around the tooth. The gingival graft may be placed in such a way as to cover the exposed portion of the root, however, the main objective is to re­establish the protective barrier or layer of the gum around the tooth. Occasionally, the patient may need multiple procedures to achieve the ideal amount of root coverage.
Dr. Britten has trained in the latest minimally invasive techniques of gum grafting and can often perform the entire procedure through a pinhole incision.

Questions? Contact us

[iphorm id=”3″ name=”Contact form”]

What are the stages of gum disease?

Gingivitis
The first stage of periodontal disease is gingivitis. It is an inflammation of the gingiva or gums and is characterized by red, tender, swollen gums, and halitosis or bad breath. It is a mild form of gum disease that can usually be reversed with daily brushing and flossing, cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist, healthy nutrition and the cessation of smoking. This form of gum disease does not involve any loss of bone and tissue that hold the teeth in place. Untreated gingivitis can lead to periodontitis.

Periodontitis
The next stage of periodontal disease is periodontitis. It causes irreversible damage to the bone and connective tissue that support the teeth in the mouth. As it progresses the pockets deepen and the body’s immune system initiates an inflammatory response in which the body in essence turns on itself and the bone and connective tissue that hold the teeth in place are broken down and destroyed. If not treated the teeth may eventually become loose and need to be removed. While the initial cause of gum disease is bacterial plaque, there are other risk factors making one susceptible to periodontal disease:

Risk Factors
Smoking
Smoking is one of the most significant risk factors associated with the development of gum disease, and can lower the chances for successful treatment.
Hormonal changes
Hormonal changes in girls and women can make the tissue more sensitive and make it easier for gingivitis to develop. This includes puberty, menopause, and pregnancy.
Diabetes
Diabetes lowers the body’s immune system, making it easier for people to develop infections including gum disease.
Medications
Medications can affect the flow of the saliva which makes the oral tissues vulnerable to infections. Some medications can cause abnormal overgrowth of the gum tissue which makes it difficult to keep the teeth and gum tissue clean.

For more information, visit: https://brittenperio.com/oral-health/periodontal-disease/

[iphorm id=”3″ name=”Contact form”]

Saving your teeth with crown lengthening

If a tooth is too far decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient structure for restoration like a crown or bridge, a procedure called crown lengthening will be needed in order to perform a cosmetic or restorative procedure. This may be the case if. In cases like this, Dr. Britten may be required to lower the gum and bone levels to expose more of the root surface so it can be restored. However, simply trimming back the gum line is not sufficient. Instead, Dr. Britten will need to reshape the gums and supporting bone to allow for adequate room to place a high quality restoration.

Questions? Contact us!

[iphorm id=”3″ name=”Contact form”]

How Periodontal Health and Overall Health are Connected

Several research studies have suggested that periodontal disease is connected to variety of other diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists believe that inflammation may be the basis for the link between these systemic diseases. Recent research demonstrates that inflammation may be responsible for the association. Therefore, treating inflammation may not only help manage periodontal diseases but may also help with the management of other chronic inflammatory conditions.

DIABETES AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease, which in turn can increase blood sugar and diabetic complications.
People with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal disease than people without diabetes, probably because people with diabetes are more susceptible to contracting infections. In fact, periodontal disease is often considered a complication of diabetes. People who have poorly controlled diabetes are especially at risk.
Research has suggested that the relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease goes both ways – periodontal disease may make it more difficult for people who have diabetes to control their blood sugar. Severe periodontal disease can increase blood sugar, contributing to increased periods of time when the body functions with a high blood sugar. This puts people with diabetes at increased risk for diabetic complications.

HEART DISEASE
Several studies have shown that periodontal disease is associated with heart disease. Research has indicated that periodontal disease increases the risk of heart disease. Scientists believe that inflammation caused by periodontal disease may be responsible for the association.
Periodontal disease can also exacerbate existing heart conditions. Patients at risk for infective endocarditis may require antibiotics prior to dental procedures. Dr. Britten and your cardiologist will be able to determine if your heart condition requires use of antibiotics prior to dental procedures.
STROKE
Additional studies have pointed to a relationship between periodontal disease and stroke. In one recent study people diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular ischemia were found more likely to have an oral infection when compared to those in the control group.

OSTEOPOROSIS
Researchers have suggested that there is a link between osteoporosis and bone loss in the jaw. Studies suggest that osteoporosis may lead to tooth loss because the density of the bone that supports the teeth may be decreased, which means the teeth no longer have a solid foundation.
RESPIRATORY DISEASE
Research has found that bacteria that grow in the oral cavity can be aspirated into the lungs to cause respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, especially in people with periodontal disease.
CANCER
Researchers found that men with gum disease were 49% more likely to develop kidney cancer, 54% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, and 30% more likely to develop blood cancers.

https://brittenperio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/periodontal-systemic-health-1.jpg

Book Now

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Contact Us

Back to Blog

appointment

Categories