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

Covid 19 dentist

Your Safety is Our # 1 Priority!

We appreciate the cooperation of all our patients, team members and colleagues since we returned in May of this year after the temporary shut-down of non-emergency dental services back in March because of COVID-19! We have to say, thanks to everyone’s diligence and cooperation, our dental office is truly a safe place to be!

We continue to the guidance of the American Dental Association and also the American Academy of Periodontology (APA). The APA has been diligently monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), the American Dental Association (ADA), and state and local agencies.

The AAP recommended that periodontists refer to all appropriate state and federal recommendations and mandates and regularly consult state dental boards or other regulating agencies for information and rules specific to their jurisdictions. The CDC has provided guidance specifically for dental professionals, interim infection prevention and control guidance for dental settings, and a framework for healthcare systems to be followed. We are diligently following this advice here at Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry in Clearwater, Florida.

At Britten Periodontics, we continue to use evidence-based decision making in our practice to ensure our team and our patients remain healthy. We are keeping with the most up-to-date global and national information regarding the virus.

We know that it hasn’t been easy for everyone, but the outstanding cooperation and kindness of our extraordinary patients and team has made it so easy to continue doing what we love – which is to deliver comfortable care and ethical treatment in a welcoming and SAFE environment.

How Proper Toothbrushing Can Change Your Life :)

Here at Britten Periodontics, Dr. Britten and his dental hygiene team work together with our patients to tailor home oral care recommendations, focusing on a very personalized approach to treatment and prevention.

Home oral care is such an important contributor to oral health, and can help lessen the need for extensive dental problems. Here are some of our top tips to good oral hygiene!

Part 1: PROPER TOOTHBRUSHING

  • A proper toothbrushing technique is essential for keeping your teeth and gums healthy.
  • Brush gently, thoughtfully and thoroughly twice a day to minimize the debris and bacteria in your mouth.
  • Bristle selection: Bristles that are too hard, or an incorrect technique of brushing can cause your gums to be damaged during the toothbrushing process and can cause them to recede (gum recession) or cause destruction (abrasion) to the teeth and roots.
  • We recommend changing your toothbrush at least every 90 days or after an illness.
  • Hold the toothbrush at a 45° angle so that the filaments reach the gum line. Brush with light pressure using small circular or vibrating movements. Brush the inside, outside and biting surfaces of the teeth.
  • Brush twice a day for at least four minutes if using a manual toothbrush.

We recommend the Sonicare Power Toothbrush for our patients.

  • Divide your mouth into four quadrants. This can help ensure that you brush each section of your teeth and mouth cavity.
  • Hold your toothbrush at a 45 ­degree angle to your gum line with a Sonicare or 90 degrees with an oscillating brush such as the Oral B.
  • Apply gentle pressure, keeping the bristles in contact with your tooth surface and gum line, which can help ensure you get the most effective result possible.
  • Stay on each area for 30 seconds, moving the brush only when it is time to go to the next area. Once you’ve completed this procedure for a quadrant, move to the inner surfaces of your teeth and repeat the same procedure.
  • To brush behind your front teeth, tilt the brush vertically using only the front half of your brush.
  • Clean biting surfaces, your tongue, and soft palate. This can help remove debris and other odor ­causing bacteria.

Stay Tuned for Our Next Blog Article – Where We Will Talk About How To Take Care of Your Teeth In Between and Other Oral Hygiene Aids!

Where We’ve Been and Where We Are Going 05-03-2020 Update

Our team at Britten Periodontics has realized the continued importance of strong and on-going relationships.

We want you to know that we are here for you!

Where We’ve Been

When we think about the individuals that bring us joy in fulfilling our vision for health and well-being, we immediately think of you, our patients and friends. We miss you greatly and are continuing to find ways of connecting with you regularly and being available for you in any way possible as we get ready for opening the practice beyond emergency appointments.

The original goal of the reduction to Emergency Care only was to suppress the spread of the virus and reduce the use of protective masks, surgical gowns, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that hospitals and clinics found in short supply. This also gave us an opportunity to reinforce what we have always done when it comes to sterilization and infection controls, as well as implement additional steps to make sure that every patient can be assured a safe dental experience.

Where We’re Going

We are very excited to announce that our practice will be opening as of 5/6/2020 for a wider spectrum of dental care. And likely on 5/18/2020 for dental hygiene services. We have been working diligently to replenish our supplies, so that we are ready with a new schedule in place that ensures the safety and comfort for both team and patients, as we return to full care and service.

Our team is now reaching out to patients who have had to cancel their appointments due to the shut down as well as patients who are currently scheduled in the up-coming months to confirm new appointments that promote social distancing mandates and protect our most vulnerable. Our new scheduling options are designed to address individual oral healthcare needs and maintain a safe and sterile environment.

Rest assured, Britten Periodontics, as always, will place the health and well-being of our team and our patients first. We will continue to reach out and update you on a regular basis through various forms of contact. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and our blog https://brittenperio.com/our-blog/ for up to date information as well as tips and resources on how to maintain your oral hygiene at home during these times.

We look forward to seeing you all again and catching up with you at your next appointment.

Stay Healthy,
Dr. Todd Britten

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

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

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