Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Have you ever seen a genuine smile that didn’t catch your eye or make your heart happy? Dr. Mat Mouritsen has one of those smiles and says he is blessed to spend his days creating them. Health and Wellness Magazine interviews Dr. Mouritsen to learn his passion, his love of technology and why he thinks your entire body’s overall health starts in your mouth.
H&W Magazine: Dr. Mouritsen, tell the readers about your passion for dentistry.
Dr. Mouritsen: My passion is changing people’s lives through implementing clinical excellence. Using the latest technology to do the highest quality work is like completing a puzzle to me. All the pieces must fall into place to make the magic. At Park Family Dental we have access to all the latest technology to do the work. Platelet Rich Fibrin in surgery and Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to identify anatomical variations for implants and root canals.
H&W Magazine: Platelets in Surgery? Explain to the reader’s Doctor.
Dr. Mouritsen: Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) is used in many dental surgical procedures such as extractions and dental implants. PRF accelerates the healing process, decreasing surgical pain and swelling for dental implants and wisdom tooth extraction. PRF also improves the strength of bone’s direct structural and functional connection to implants.
The PRF process is very simple. One vial of blood is drawn per surgical site immediately before your dental procedure, the same process as when blood is taken during a routine medical exam. The blood is then put into a centrifuge and separated into various layers, one being the PRF. The PRF layer is rich in fibrin, platelets, and growth factors.
The use of Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF, protects the bony surgical site from infection, accelerates the healing process,s and decreases pain after a procedure. Platelet Rich Fibrin treatment is 100% natural without additives or preservatives. PRF is placed directly into the tooth extraction site and implant site. Without the PRF, dental extractions sites are commonly left to heal open. When PRF is placed into the extraction site, the PRF protects the site from infection and enriches the area with proteins that accelerate the healing process. In sites where implants are placed, the PRF occupies the space between the extraction site and the dental implant. Placement of PRF in dental implant sites decreases the implant healing time and the chance of dental implant failure. PRF is better than sending a tooth removal patient home with an unfilled bony extraction socket or implant site.
H&W Magazine: And the CBCT… how does this technology help you and your patients?
Dr. Mouritsen: The CBCT systems dental professionals use rotate around the patient, capturing data using a cone-shaped X-ray beam. These data are used to reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) image of the following regions of the patient’s anatomy: dental (teeth); oral and maxillofacial region (mouth, jaw, and neck); and ears, nose, and throat (“ENT”). No more mushy molds and goop in trays forced into your mouth.
We also have our own lab in the building to customize our ceramics using the latest dental imaging. We even have our own Master Ceramist, Lance Finch, who can often create your new smile in one day. Dental Technology is indeed a field exploding with patient care and comfort.
H&W Magazine: Share with the readers a patient success story where you used these technologies.
Dr. Mouritsen: Well, I have so many, but one that quickly comes to mind is a young man named Colby. Colby was in his twenties and had many health issues that contributed to his teeth having significant decay and crowding. I was able to clean up the decay, get his teeth healthy and give him a beautiful new smile. His health and self-confidence improved, and Colby’s overall outlook on life was so changed that his career began to skyrocket. Changing a person’s smile truly can change their life.
The health of your mouth is the key to your overall health in general. I just worked with a man in his sixties who was struggling with many other health problems due to badly infected teeth. We removed all the teeth and associated infections and placed implants throughout his entire mouth. He left THAT DAY with new teeth. He reports that his overall health has improved dramatically, and he can finally eat solid foods again. He even reports that he has stopped smoking based on his new desire to take better care of himself and his new teeth!
“As a dentist, I get to help people smile, laugh, and enjoy food. Three of life’s most enjoyable activities for all of us. I love when I can help someone and make their world a better place.”
Dr. Mat Mouritsen considers himself a lifelong student of all thing’s dental health-related and is constantly engaged and eager to learn. His passion for teaching and learning has been the driving force in his career. He worked as a mentor at the Spear Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. There he helped other dentists learn and understand many advanced concepts in dentistry.
Dr. Mouritsen has studied with some of the most prominent experts in the field of airway and sleep-breathing disorders. As a member of airway prosthodontics, he continues to study and learn with doctors worldwide to find new ways to understand better and treat breathing-related health issues. He is particularly passionate about this because several close family members have been affected by sleep breathing disorders, including sleep apnea. He has unbounded enthusiasm for helping people to find individual solutions that can result in dramatic changes in nighttime rest and overall health.
Park Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
690 Goodlette-Frank Rd. N.
myparkdental.com
239-330-4208
