Dental Implant

We are excited to share these dental implant photos with you! The first picture was taken prior to extracting the tooth. The middle picture shows the final product of the dental implant. You can see from the last picture, the x-ray, how the implant integrated into the jaw. If you are interested in dental implants please feel free to contact our office by calling 240-651-5478.

St. John’s Spring Fair

Dr. Towe’s daughter, Natalie, and a few of her friends, represented our office at St. John Regional Catholic School’s Spring Fair last weekend! We are thrilled to continuously support our community!  

Visit from Baby James!

We were so happy to get a visit from Dr. Towe’s son, James, yesterday! Isn’t he the cutest!?!

Happy Anniversary!

We are wishing the happiest of anniversaries to our Surgical Assistant, Katy, and her husband, Dan! Yesterday marked three years of wedded bliss!

Hiring – Dental Surgical Assistant

We are growing and looking to add another Dental Surgical Assistant to our team! If you, or anyone you know, is interested in joining our team, please email resumes to frederickperiodontics@gmail.com. This position includes, but is not limited to, the following duties: 1. Facilitate providers with all patient visits and procedures. 2. Room set up for providers. 3. Review pre and post-surgical instructions, consent forms, medications, what to expect for surgical procedures, etc. 4. Sterilization, preparation, and maintenance of instruments, equipment, and supplies. 5. Take impressions for surgical guide fabrication. 6. Take x-rays & CBCT scans as directed. 7. Administrative duties including answering incoming phone calls, scanning & shredding of documents, and scheduling appointments. 8. X-ray certification is required. 9. The ability to take clear digital radiographs and surgical assisting experience is preferred.

Happy Anniversary to our Office Manager

Today is a very special day in our office! Today marks the 1 year anniversary of when our Office Manager, Jennifer Barnett, joined forces with Dr. Towe! Here’s to many, many more years of working side by side with our growing team! Happy anniversary!

7 Steps to a Better Smile

Wish you had close-to-perfect pearly whites? (Who doesn’t!) Then make all seven of these dental-health musts a part of your daily routine. It’s probably no surprise that a bright, white smile can make you appear younger and more attractive. In fact, according to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, a whopping 96 percent of respondents surveyed believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing. But good dental health goes beyond the way you look. The mouth is the gateway to the body, which means the state of your teeth and gums affects your overall health. By following these steps to a better smile, you’ll be taking important strides for the rest of your body, too. 1. Brush regularly. Brushing is the cornerstone of dental hygiene. It removes food particles that bacteria feed on, cleans teeth, and freshens breath. A toothpaste with fluoride helps strengthen teeth, but you must brush for at least two minutes to allow it to do its work, says Jonathan Abenaim, DDS, a dentist in private practice in Hawthorne, N.J. Many electric toothbrushes have a built-in two-minute timer, which can make brushing for the full amount of time easier, he says. 2. Floss daily. Flossing removes the bacteria from in between your teeth that your toothbrush does not reach, which helps prevent gum disease. Dr. Abenaim recommends flossing twice a day, but if you only do it once daily, be sure to floss before bedtime. When you sleep, you produce less saliva, which leaves teeth and gums particularly vulnerable to bacteria. 3. Visit your dentist. Visit your dentist at least twice a year for thorough dental cleanings. Your dentist can spot the early signs of gum disease, which is more easily treated when caught in the beginning stages. If you are prone to gum disease and cavities, consider visiting your dentist every four months. <a target=”_blank” href=”https://ad.doubleclick.net/N4213/jump/everydayhealth/mouthteeth/general;p=37;ugc=0;ct=cc;cat=Dental Health;page=f5c7af2c4a344592b11dddb27b4c0943;bn=;content=;;pos=bottomsticky;sz=[[300,250],[300,600]];tile=7;ord=20160505060342?”> <img border=”0″ alt=”” src=”https://ad.doubleclick.net/N4213/ad/everydayhealth/mouthteeth/general;37;ugc=0;ct=cc;cat=Dental Health;page=f5c7af2c4a344592b11dddb27b4c0943;bn=;content=;;pos=bottomsticky;sz=[[300,250],[300,600]];tile=7;ord=20160505060342?” /> </a> Similarly, if you have other health conditions that put you at higher risk for dental problems (such as diabetes, or a depressed immune system from HIV, cancer, or chemotherapy), ask your dentist how often you should have an exam. A special dental-hygiene regimen should be considered for pregnant women, people with diabetes, and anyone undergoing chemotherapy treatment or using medications that can affect the gums (such as antiepileptics) or dry out the mouth (including some psychiatric medications). <a target=”_blank” href=”https://ad.doubleclick.net/N4213/jump/everydayhealth/mouthteeth/general;p=37;ugc=0;ct=cc;cat=Dental Health;page=f5c7af2c4a344592b11dddb27b4c0943;bn=;content=;;pos=extrasticky;sz=[[300,250]];tile=9;ord=20160505060342?”> <img border=”0″ alt=”” src=”https://ad.doubleclick.net/N4213/ad/everydayhealth/mouthteeth/general;37;ugc=0;ct=cc;cat=Dental Health;page=f5c7af2c4a344592b11dddb27b4c0943;bn=;content=;;pos=extrasticky;sz=[[300,250]];tile=9;ord=20160505060342?” /> </a> It’s wise to examine your own mouth regularly for signs of trouble, such as a nonhealing sore on the lip or inside of your cheek, swollen gums, or sensitive or bleeding gums. If you notice any of these conditions, make an extra dental appointment to have them checked out. 4. Eat a healthy diet. Include plenty of dairy and other calcium-rich foods, like sardines and kale, in your diet. Calcium helps maintain strong bones and teeth, and the vitamin C in citrus fruits boosts gum health. Equally important to what you do eat is what you don’t. Sugary and sticky foods that stick to the crevices of your teeth are particularly bad, as bacteria feed off the sugars and release acids that cause cavities. If you do eat candy or other sweets, try to brush immediately afterward or, if that’s not possible, rinse your mouth with water, suggests Herman Waldman, DDS. 5. Don’t smoke or use smokeless tobacco. People who smoke are four times more likely than nonsmokers to have gum disease, according to a study by the Journal of Periodontology. Using smokeless tobacco increases a person’s risk for oral cancers, including lip, tongue, cheeks, and gums. On a smaller scale, tobacco products contribute to bad breath, or halitosis. 6. Whiten teeth. While the benefits are solely cosmetic, with today’s products, whitening is a very safe procedure that will not harm your teeth as long as the products are used as directed and you are under the care of a dentist, says Dr. Waldman. Over-the-counter whitening products are effective for minor staining; professional-strength whitening products are better for more-severe yellowing. Speak to your dentist before undergoing any whitening procedure to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy. 7. Consider cosmetic procedures. The first thing a person sees when they meet you is your smile, says Abenaim, and having crooked, stained, or missing teeth can affect your confidence. There have been great advances in cosmetic dentistry over the past decade, and it is possible to fix most cosmetic problems. Veneers for improving the appearance of crooked, stained, or oddly shaped teeth and orthodontics for straightening teeth are only two of the many cosmetic procedures offered. However, most cosmetic dentistry is not covered by insurance, and it can be costly. It’s important to schedule a consultation with an experienced cosmetic dentist prior to undergoing any type of procedure. You can access the full article by visiting https://www.everydayhealth.com/dental-health/101/better-smile.aspx.

Ridge Augmentation

Check out these before and after pictures from a recent Ridge Augmentation performed by Dr. Towe! A Ridge Augmentation is a common dental procedure often performed following a tooth extraction to help recreate the natural contour of the gums and jaw that may have been lost due to bone loss as a result of a tooth extraction, or for another reason. As always, please feel free to contact us for any questions or concerns you may have at 240-651-5478.

Patient Feedback

We love to hear feedback from our patients! Below is correspondence we received about a recent visit: “Dr. Towe is awesome and very thoughtful! I certainly enjoyed my visit to your office. Thank you for your help and thoughtfulness!” We would like to give a big THANK YOU to our patients! You make our jobs so rewarding! It is our pleasure to provide you with superior service!

Cosmetic Gum Grafting

Here is another great before and after picture from a recent Cosmetic Gum Grafting procedure performed by Dr. Towe! Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns about your oral hygiene at 240-651-5478.

Gum disease opens up the body to a host of infections

For centuries the mouth and body have been disconnected — at least when it comes to health care. Through the Middle Ages and beyond, teeth fell under the care of barbers, who could shave a customer and pull a molar with equal skill. In the 1700s, French surgeon Pierre Fauchard published the Treatise on Teeth, establishing dentistry as its own science. Across the channel in England, as physicians gained stature in the 19th century, surgeons and dentists engaged in a power struggle. In the modern United States, after medicine became linked to employer insurance and Medicare, the fissure between medicine and dentistry widened. Insurance coverage began at the throat. So when Salomon Amar, a periodontal specialist at Boston University, began exploring links between oral bacteria and heart disease in animal studies in the late 1990s, reactions were lukewarm. “Many cardiologists thought we were a bit crazy,” he says. Skepticism still abounds, but the same molecular tools that have dramatically changed understanding of the gut microbiome are now allowing scientists to track and examine bacteria in the mouth. Advocates of a connection between the artery disease atherosclerosis and microbes are hoping to find convincing proof of their suspicions, while exploring links between ailing gums and other conditions, including cancer, arthritis, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease. To read the full article click on the link below: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/gum-disease-opens-body-host-infections?utm_source=Society+for+Science+Newsletters&utm_campaign=f5c600ab9b-Latest_From_Science_News&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a4c415a67f-f5c600ab9b-104590865  

Go Caps!

Our Surgical Assistant, Katy, and her husband Daniel represented our support for the Washington Capitals last Thursday night as they took on the Penguins! Go Caps!