Tag Archives: Dr. Philip Gentry

Dr. Gentry’s Article on How to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth.

July 27, 2017articles/publicationsarlington, brushing dogs teeth, dental, dental care for pets, dentist, dentistry, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

Arlington Magazine

dr_philip_gentry

Dr. Gentry with his dog, Luna, who often accompanies him to the office

Want to keep your pooch’s pearly whites in tip-top condition? Local dentist (and devoted dog owner) Philip Gentry offers this step-by-step advice for keeping Fido’s smile healthy and clean:

1. Use a specially designed dog toothbrush and pet toothpaste. Never, never, use human toothpaste. It’s not meant to be swallowed and will irritate a dog’s stomach. Two brands that I recommend are Sentry Petrodex Enzymatic toothpaste for dogs (poultry or peanut butter flavor) or Arm & Hammer’s Advanced Pet Care Enzymatic dog toothpaste (chicken or beef flavor).

2. Gently introduce the toothpaste by allowing your dog to lick it off your finger. Do this first, before you bring a toothbrush into the picture.

3. Next, use your finger to rub the toothpaste around the outside of the teeth and gums. Avoid the inside surface so as not to be bitten.

4. Once your dog gets used to the drill, you can introduce a toothbrush. Be sure to consider the size of your dog when choosing a toothbrush (smaller brush and head for a small dog; larger and longer brush for a bigger dog). Look for a soft brush that has bristles on both sides of the handle. Pet stores also sell finger brushes that fit over your fingertip.

5. Brush daily at a relaxed time in a location with plenty of light. Start brushing the front teeth and work backward, moving the brush in a circular motion. Lift the dog’s lip so you can see better.

6. Reward your pup with praise and petting. Make it a fun experience. It’s okay to give treats, too—ideally dental chews that are specifically designed to remove plaque and tartar. I like Greenies brand.

7. Avoid giving your dog table scraps and sweets. They will cause plaque build-up, decay and gum disease. Note: the sweetener Xylitol (which is found in candy, gum, human toothpaste, certain protein bars and other products) is toxic to dogs! Click here for a complete list of products that contain Xylitol.

8. Don’t stress if you can’t reach all of your dog’s teeth. Start the very first brushing with a goal of doing 10 seconds on the front teeth. Then work your way up to one minute, brushing all the teeth.

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Re-making a broken dental implant crown.

July 23, 2017dental implantsarlington, dental implant, dental implants, dentist, dentistry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient presented with a broken implant crown. It was done 20 years ago in Los Angeles, California. What made this case interesting is that the dentist had retired and there was no record of the type or size of the implant. I sent pictures to different implant companies, but none were familiar with the design. I eventually figured out the implant manufacturer, but after checking, discovered they were no longer in business. Another complication was that the screw was stripped and difficult to remove. Eventually after trying different sized external hexed implant fixtures, I was able to get one to fit and made a beautiful new implant crown. Here’s the clinical photos:

broken-dental-implant — the old implant external hex attachment

dental-implant-x-rays — making the new implant crown

after-new-implant — the new implant crown

University of Maryland Honorary Alumnus Award

July 13, 2017dental school, teaching at university of maryland dental schoolarlington, dental, dentist, dentistry, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

I’m so grateful to be awarded The University of Maryland School of Dentistry Honorary Alumnus Award for my teaching dental students and Advanced General Dentistry Residents!!!

Dental Implant case of the Day.

July 8, 2017dental implantsarlington, dental, dental implant, dental implants, dentist, dentistry, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

For this patient, we were unable to save her back right lower molar. We extracted the tooth and placed a dental implant. Here are the clinical photos:

implant-crown#31-final — screw access channel filled

digital-design-scan — digital design scan

implant-crown-screw — restorative torque wrench, titanium screw, implant crown

tooth#31-before-extraction — back molar before extraction

Valplast Flexible Partial Denture.

July 2, 2017partial dentures-before/afterarlington, dentist, dentistry, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, partial denture, partial dentures, Philip Gentry, valplast, valplast partial denture, virginiaDoctorGentry

Here are the clinical photos of a Valplast partial denture I delivered today:

missing-teeth — missing upper right back teeth

A Valplast partial denture is thin, lightweight, and flexible with invisible clasps that surround the natural teeth. Flexible partials are a quality premium product that offer the benefits of superior esthetics, comfort, function and bio-compatibility. I use these as a temporary solution to fill in missing teeth while we place implants, or a fixed bridge; or as a final solution, if costs are an issue.

Benefits:

ESTHETIC – the translucent material blends naturally with the tissue tone and replaces clasps
COMFORTABLE – thin, lightweight and resilient with precision fit and retention
BIO-COMPATIBLE – non-allergenic, monomer and formaldehyde free
FUNCTIONAL – flexible to create a stress-breaker effect, with no minor or major connectors to collect food or affect speech

Dental Implant case of the Day

July 1, 2017dental implantsarlington, dental, dental implant, dental implants, dentist, dentistry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

Here are the clinical photos from today’s implant delivery appointment:

encode-healing-abutment — Encode healing abutment

These x-rays show the importance of taking an x-ray to confirm that the implant crown is lined up and seated correctly.

In Office Whitening Treatment

June 23, 2017teeth whiteningarlington, best dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, smile, teeth whitening, top dentist, virginiaDoctorGentry

Professional results—in about an hour

For a brighter, whiter smile without the wait, choose Opalescence Boost, an in-office, chemically activated whitening treatment that offers results in less than an hour. It’s ideal for people who want instant whitening gratification or those who have that special event coming up that requires a bright, white smile.

Opalescence tooth whitening gel contains PF (potassium nitrate and fluoride), which helps maintain the health of enamel throughout the whitening process.
Chemically activated, so no hot, uncomfortable light is needed
Dentist-applied treatment
Provides dramatic results in less than one hour

Demi Moore’s Cosmetic Dentistry

June 17, 2017nightguards for grinding/clenching teetharlington, cracked tooth, Dr. Philip Gentry, nightguard, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginia, worn down teethDoctorGentry

Demi Moore revealed on The Tonight Show this week that she is missing her two front teeth. She said that stress caused her to grind and clench her teeth breaking off her upper central incisors. Although I did not do her dentistry, I wanted to share with you her photos and what modern dentistry can do. She appears to have porcelain crowns on all her teeth and a bridge across the front to fill in the missing teeth. Ms. Moore also probably had a bone graft and periodontal surgery to sculpt her gums.

Stress can indeed take a toll on people’s teeth. When people are stressed they tend to grind and clench their teeth. This causes them to wear their teeth down and crack and fracture them. It also caused pain and headaches. Stress also effects the immune system and our ability to fight gum disease. Periodontal disease causes bone loss around the teeth. When you are stressed, you also do not eat or sleep well and tend to neglect your teeth and gums. Combine clenching and grinding with weakened teeth and gums, and teeth are going to break for sure!

A small break can be repaired with a filling or crown. Sometimes a root canal is needed. If the tooth is fractured or broken down to the root, it cannot be saved and we need to extract it. Here is an example an upper premolar tooth that was fractured down the middle from grinding and clenching that I extracted.

$fractured-tooth$ $extracted-fractured-tooth$

A simple preventative solution to help protect your teeth while clenching and grinding during sleeping is a nightguard. A nightguard is a proactive step to protect your existing healthy teeth. A clear, thin removable device, your custom-made bite splint, is worn over your lower or upper teeth as you sleep.

Studies suggest those who grind and clench their teeth may experience up to 80 times the normal tooth wear per day compared to those who do not. The good news is that a simple bite splint can help offset the effects of this often-subconscious habit while protecting your teeth from daily wear and tear.

Nice dental implant case :-)))

May 20, 2017dental implantsarlington, dental, dental implant, dental implants, dentist, dentistry, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient had a fractured molar that we tried to save with a root canal. The root fracture was too large and we were unable to save and restore the tooth. So I recommended to extract the tooth and placed a dental implant. Turned out fantastic and the patient is very happy he can chew again on his left side :-)))

Extraction, bone graft, dental implant.

May 13, 2017dental implantsarlington, bone graft, dental implant, dental implants, dentist, dentistry, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

Today I finished up this nice case. The upper right first molar tooth was broken down and non-restorable. I first extracted the tooth and placed a bone graft. Following 3 months of healing we placed a Zimmer-Biomet 3i titanium dental implant. Then after allowing 3 months for the dental implant to isseointegrate, placed the computer scannable Encode healing abutment. Then took the final impression and delivered the screwed retained implant crown.