Laser Gum Treatment Philadelphia

Periodontist & Dental Implant Specialist Dr. I. Stephen Brown, Serving Philadelphia PA, Camden NJ & Montgomery County

I. Stephen Brown, D.D.S., F.A.C.D., F.I.C.D., is a nationally recognized expert, providing a wide variety of cosmetic, periodontal, and implant dentistry procedures to enhance your smile’s comfort, function, and beauty. Unconditionally committed to your complete comfort during dental treatment, Dr. Brown believes that all dental procedures can and should be delivered in an anxiety and pain-free environment. Dr. Brown is a certified expert in the delivery of sedation dentistry. For a healthy, beautiful smile, contact Dr. Brown.

Our mission at The Perio Group is to create a compassionate environment in which people may make informed choices regarding their oral health and wellness. Through our commitment to excellence and service to others, we also nurture our own personal growth and development.

Philadelphia Implant Dentist Treatment Options

Dental Implant Treatment Options

Implant Treatment Options



Single Tooth Implant Replacement

Full Upper Arch Implant Replacement

Posterior Implant Replacement

Full Lower Arch Implant Replacement

Implants and Bridges








Single Implant

Several Teeth With a Bridge

For more information about dental implants Philadelphia, visit www.theperiogroup.com or call (215) 735-3660 to schedule an appointment with a Philadelphia implant dentist.

Good Home Hygiene Can Be the Key to Dental Implant Longevity

Good oral hygiene is incredibly important when it comes to dental implants and can be a contributing factor to the longevity of the implant components. It is critical that patients prioritize good home care and receive proper instruction so that they do not lapse into ineffective habits.

Home Care Techniques

Dental implants require special oral hygiene techniques. Depending on what type of prosthesis has been placed on the implant, different home care techniques can be recommended.

A removable appliance allows access to the implant-retained bar, and an interdental brush and small cleaners are usually adequate because patients are working in a relatively large space. However, fixed restorations require proper brushes and flossing techniques.

While many home hygiene instruments are being designed with dental implants in mind, an adaptation of traditional instrumentation needs to be used with the special needs of an implant in minds. For example, metal tools such as interproximal brushes with a stainless steel core wire must be avoided. The stainless steel wire can easily cause damage to the soft titanium metal in the implant.

Instead, the following techniques should be employed:

Manual or Automatic Toothbrushes

• Brushing is imperative and soft or medium toothbrushes are appropriate
  
• Small heads are useful because they allow better access to the cylindrical contours of a dental implant Philadelphia.
  
• Automatic toothbrushes effectively disturb biofilm and are specifically useful for edentulous patients
  
• Specific techniques need to be learned because the anatomy of the implant is significantly different than the anatomy of a natural tooth.
  

Interdental Threaded Cleaners

• The use of super-floss or floss-threaders is important around any implant supported bridge, crown or bar.
  
• Patients need to be made aware that sometimes implants are placed more lingually, or closer to the tongue, than natural teeth. Because of this, it may be difficult for patients to reach the tongue-side surface of the dental implant. Difficult as it may be, cleaning the lingual surface of the dental implant is a critical step in avoiding bone loss around the implant.
  
• Patients with dental implants should be wrapping super-floss 360 degrees around the implant and polishing in both horizontal and vertical motions in order to keep all surfaces of the dental implant free from biofilm.
  

Interdental Brushes and Cleaners

• All wires of interdental brushes must be nylon-coated to prevent damage to the titanium implant surface.
  
• A back-and-forth motion should be used with an interdental brush to cover the entire surface of the dental implant and restoration.
  

Reduced Size Brushes

• Many manufacturers of oral hygiene instruments now design brushes specifically with the needs of the dental implant patient in mind covering a wide array of brush sizes and shapes.
  
• Careful instructions regarding angulation and orientation of the brushes are critical to provide optimal plaque removal and to prevent injury to the tissues.
  
• The angulation and orientation of the brushes should be adapted to contact as much of the surface area of the restorations as possible.

To learn more about the care and maintenance of dental implants, contact Philadlephia implant dentist, Dr. I. Stephen Brown at the Perio Group (215) 735-3660 or on the web at www.theperiogroup.com.

Choosing Dental Implants Philadelphia

The American Academy of Periodontology
Patient Information Pages
March 2007
www.perio.org

If you had a choice between a set of removable dentures or permanent replacement teeth that look and feel like your own, which would you choose? What if the replacement teeth would also allow you to speak and eat with comfort and confidence, offer you freedom from irksome clicks and wobble s of dentures, and allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues? Dental implant are growing in popularity and advancing in technology. They are a permanent and effective alternative to dentures.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root laced into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge in place. While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth saving than traditional bridgework, since they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support. The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general health and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal diseases.

Once you decide to get a dental implant, there are some different options. Some implants take two to six months for the bone and implant to bond together to form anchors (osseointegration). During this time, you can wear a removable temporary tooth replacement option over the implant site(s). However, there is now the option of immediate loading, whereby a periodontist places the implant immediately following tooth extraction and attaches a temporary fixed tooth replacement. Depending on your specific condition and the type of implant chosen, your periodontist will create a treatment plan tailored to meet your needs.

Perhaps the most important decision you need to make regarding your dental implants is who should perform the procedure. Since periodontists are the dental experts who specialize in precisely these areas, they are ideal members of your dental implant team. Not only do periodontists have experience working with other dental professionals, they also have the special knowledge, an additional three years of training and facilities that you need to have teeth that look and feel just like your own. Speak with your periodontist about dental implants today.
Just like your own teeth, dental implants require the proper care. In order to keep your implant clean and plaque-free, brushing and flossing still apply! After treatment, your periodontist will work closely with your dentist to develop the best care plan for you. Periodic follow-up visits will be scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy.

For more information about dental implants Philadelphia, mini implants Philadelphia, Montgomery County Dental implants, Camden, NJ implant dentist visit www.theperiogroup.com or call Dr. Stephen Brown at (215)735-3660.

Philadelphia Mini Dental Implants - A New Approach to Replacing Multiple Missing Teeth

Looking for a simple and affordable approach to replacing your missing teeth? Mini dental implants may be the technology you've been waiting for.

What are mini dental implants?
A mini implant is a man-made titanium replacement for a tooth root. These mini, man-made tooth roots act as a retaining fixture for a denture. The head of the implant is shaped like a ball, and the retaining fixture acts like a socket that contains a rubber O-ring. The O-ring snaps over the ball when the denture is placed and retains the denture at a predetermined level of force. When seated, the denture gently rests on the gum tissue. The implant fixtures allow for micro-mobility while withstanding natural lifting forces.

How are mini dental implants placed?
The mini implant placement procedure is a quick and relatively simple surgical procedure performed in a dental office setting. Local anesthesia and a light sedation is typically administered before the patient undergoes a precise, controlled, minimally invasive surgical technique. Mini Dental Implants are placed into the jawbone, while the heads of the mini implants protrude from the gum tissue. These protruding mini implant heads provide a strong, firm foundation for retaining dentures. This one-step procedure is not only minimally-invasive, but it also negates the need for sutures and months of healing time as with a typical dental implant.

How does mini dental implant technology broaden your options?
Dental Implant therapy has been one of the most significant advances in dentistry in the past 25 years. Thousands of grateful patients testify to the benefits derived from having the opportunity to replace missing teeth, while restoring their smiles and confidence. While several different types of implants and restorations are avaliable, the choice not only depends upon the amount of bone avaliable, but also on the patient's general health as well as his or her restoration preferance. These mini dental implants (1.8mm in diameter) enable your dentist to broaden the spectrum of preferences even more. The Mini Implant System provides greater denture stability and make a permanent restoration possible for those patients without enough bone to undergo conventional implant surgery.

NEED A DENTAL IMPLANT? FEAR NOT!

Need a Dental Implant? Fear Not!
March 2008 Patient Page
from the American Academy of Periodontology

For some people, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of a trip to the dentist. Even scarier for some is the prospect of replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant. However, as dental implants grow in popularity as a permanent solution to tooth loss, it is time to put nervous minds at ease.

A recent survey conducted informally by the American Academy of Periodontology asked periodontal patients what factors stopped them from getting a dental implant. The second most popular answer given by respondents was “fear or anxiety”. However, the same survey also revealed that of those patients who had previously received a dental implant, more than half reported “very little to no pain or discomfort” experienced during the process and only 33% described the procedure as “somewhat painful or uncomfortable”. These survey results help demonstrate that although dental implant procedures illicit fear or anxiety in potential patients, the reality is that the actual experience is not something to be frightened of.

Why is everyone so afraid of procedures such as dental implants? Perhaps fearing the dentist and certain dental procedures is something that is ingrained in our minds from a young age. Perhaps it is the result of ongoing, perpetuated stereotypes. Regardless of the cause, it is important to find ways to “unlearn” this fear, especially if your dental professional recommends a dental implant as the best course of treatment. Seeing a dental professional regularly and trusting his or her advice will help you to best maintain your oral health and minimize expense, time, and discomfort.

If you decide to get a dental implant and are feeling anxious or fearful, find ways to feel more in control of your experience.

• Ask your periodontist to explain the procedure. Knowing exactly what will occur when the dental implant is placed can help put your mind at ease.


• Have your periodontist explain your options for techniques to control pain and stress, such as medications, anesthesia, sedation, or relaxation techniques that can make your treatment virtually painless.

If you need a dental implant in the Philadelphia, PA area visit http://www.theperiogroup.com/ for more information or call the Perio Group 215.735.3660 for a Philadelphia dental implant specialist.

Tooth Loss Linked to Cognitive Impairment

According to a study published in the June 2009 Journal of Clinical Periodontology, a scientific link has been established between tooth loss and cognitive impairment. The study set out to prove that since Chronic subclinical inflammation may elevate the risk of cognitive impairment, and periodontal disease is responsible for the subclinical inflammation and accounts at least in part for tooth loss, that a link indeed exists between tooth loss and cognitive impairment in the elderly.

1336 subjects were studied with a composite age of 6079 years. Each individual's cognitive impairment was assessed with the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). A high MMSE score indicated normal cognitive behaviors, while lower MMSE scores indicated some degree of cognitive impairment.

The study found that a decreased number of teeth was associated with lower MMSE scores in females and males in age-adjusted models. While in the fully adjusted models, tooth loss was associated with cognitive impairment in females but not in males.

The study concluded that a significant association between tooth loss and cognitive impairment was found in females. The study also showed that since former periodontitis accounted for this association because periodontitis was frequently the cause of the tooth extractions.

Therefore, this study showed that there is at least potential for a strong correlation between cognitive impairment in many elderly patients and tooth loss as a result of the chronic subclinical inflammation brought on by periodontal disease. This association between periodontal disease and cognitive impairment is just one of the many systemic implications of chronic periodontitis or gum disease.

For more information about the link between gum disease Philadelphia and a variety of systemic afflictions, contact Dr. Brown at http://www.theperiogroup.com/ or by phone at 215.735.3660. Submit your gum disease questions online at by filling out one of the online contact forms.