Dr. Russell Phillips, DMD
Dentist
1625 K St Nw Suite LL #1 Washington DC, 20006Rating
1/5
About
Dr. Phillips has a practice that encompasses a wide range of clinical disciplines. The profile of the varied services he performs is directed at providing a comprehensive solution to treatment needs ranging from the basic to the complex with a focus on whole health. An adjunct to his traditional practice is the forming of The Washington Airway & Wellness Center which looks at airway development to treat sleep and breathing disorders. He is a trained periodontist using this knowledge base to perform general dentistry, root canals and the prosthetic tasks of cosmetic fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures and implants. He performs surgical treatment of bone grafting preceding implants, including extractions that might be necessary, and the surgical placement of the implants. His services then include the restorations that were intended for the implants, either crowns, bridges or implant retained dentures. His training in the Navy Dental Corps and the graduate certificates in Periodontics and Fixed Prosthodontics/ Periodontal Prosthesis from the University of Pennsylvania provided the background to diagnose and treatment plan a wide variety of case type complexities. With this broad a level of experience, it has provided the insight to more recently become involved in yet a broader view of delivering comprehensive care of his patients. There is a new wave of treatment modalities available that offer much needed help to those who suffer from sleep disordered breathing, both adults and children. This is proving to be a very exciting service that allows dentistry to reach the level of saving lives and/or greatly increase the quality of ones life.
Dr. Russell Phillips, DMD's Videos
Education and Training
University of Pennsylvania DMD 1980 Perio/PerioProsthesis 1975
Provider Details
Dr. Russell Phillips, DMD's Expert Contributions
Do I need a prosthodontic follow up after getting my dentures?
It is true that less is on the agenda for follow up care with dentures than teeth, but that is not to say unnecessary. A denture results in an "organized entrapment " of oral bacteria that are called upon to live in a very unnatural state under acrylic and not being subjected to the normal cleansing action of saliva and food passing over it. . Exams do need to be done to make sure the soft tissue now living under the denture is reacting well to this environment. Denture sores are also a factor, but the likelihood is that a patient will seek out the dentist to rectify that kind of a situation, but people are different and it is recommended to take a look. It is useful also to check to see that a patient is being compliant with adequate hygiene practices to maintain the denture well. READ MORE
The crown over my molar cracked. What should I do?
Something is wrong with the tooth under the crown most likely if you are in that much pain. It needs an X-ray and exam to establish a diagnosis and then the options are known to proper treatment. READ MORE
What is the procedure for restoring a missing tooth?
Replacing a tooth requires a full evaluation of the mouth in general. Typically the mechanical answer to that question is a removable partial denture, a fixed bridge or an implant. Which is applicable depends on the condition of the immediately surrounding teeth and all the teeth in general since one tooth is but one part of the whole. READ MORE
I knocked out my two front teeth. What's the procedure for implants?
Evaluate in 3 dimensions the condition of the surrounding bone and then formulate a plan accordingly. Is there enough bone remaining as it is?, does bone grafting have to be done? What are the characteristics of the bite and surrounding teeth? a lot goes into that answer. READ MORE
How long does it take to get a crown?
A crown can take anywhere from one visit with an office that has an in office milling machine to two visits spread over about a two week period of time that will vary slightly from office to office. For those of two visits, a temporary crown is made to function with in the interim.=20 READ MORE
How long does a root canal procedure take on a molar tooth?
Just the mechanical part of treating a molar is in the 1 1/2 hour range. Consider though that one molar does not equal another. A host of factors that can complicate the task can be looming around the corner and extend that time. Sometimes even a second visit is rightfully indicated. READ MORE
Is gum pain normal after root canal?
Pain after a root canal does not generally come from the gum. Most pain has to do with the periodontal ligament which is a cabling of soft tissue fibers that grow from the tooth surface on one side and the bone on the other. This is what holds your tooth in its socket but it is also the site of a very sensitive network of nerve fibers that work as the “feeling” organ of the tooth. That is how you can feel a hair between your tooth or know when you are biting down to hard and tells you to put the brakes on. The root canal procedure involves cleaning and enlarging the root canal right down to the end of the root where it interfaces and bumps up against the periodontal ligament— the feeling organ of the tooth. This stirs it up and creates a pain response and especially when you bite down on a root canal sensitive tooth. So, most predictable root canal pain comes from outside the end of the tooth, not the gum. There are a few odd situations where the gum could be involved directly by a different mechanism but too complicated to explain here. Most post op root canal pain is as stated above. READ MORE
Can I get 4 dental implants at once?
Yes, assuming the recipient sites are at the same stage of the process. READ MORE
Can a partial denture be attached to an implant?
Yes, although each case where it is done involves some “engineering decisions” as to how much load it will take and what else is supporting the partial. READ MORE
How often should you floss dental bridge?
Once a day THOROUGHLY with thread flossing snd proper brushing. READ MORE
Can a regular dentist do a root canal?
Root canals require probably the highest degree of care and attention to detail for successful treatment as any dental procedure. Every dentist is required to learn how to do and to actually do a certain number of root canals in their dental school training. After that, it depends on one's own particular;ar interest whether one continues to do them in practice. Every dentist is legally allowed to do root canals, but is under the obligation of knowing when to refer to an Endodontist. Endodontics is the specialty of root canals and it very much deserves to be a specialty because not all root canals are the same. There is a huge range of complications presented in various teeth and conditions within a tooth that determine difficulty. This is where the question has to be answered carefully. There are many general dentists who can achieve good results on easy teeth. There are fewer general dentists who can achieve good results on complex teeth and fewer the more complex the situations presents. Endodontists are highly trained in evaluating and treating complex situations. These, in my opinion, should be done in their hands. This becomes a bit more complicated when one considers that often times the complexities do not present themselves until the procedure has begun and this is either due to lack of proper diagnosis or truly hidden problems. Endodontists are these days, better equipped to make complex diagnoses and decisions that affect the course of treatment. The most recent decade has seen rapid growth in new materials, techniques, equipment, and training that has changed the methods in which root canals are done. It is a consideration that the average general dentist is becoming less and less able to keep pace with the high tech and methods evolving in doing root canals. Root canal techniques changed very slowly over the last 30 years and it was not hard to keep up with the changes. It is a different story in today's rapidly changing root canal high tech enviornment. As you can see, it is not an easy question to answer, but this gives you a good overview of the situation. READ MORE
Is it necessary to put crown after root canal?
In most cases it is advised because most teeth requiring root canals have had a tough life with a lot of tooth structure loss and weakened walls. In addition a root canal does hollow out the inner aspect of the tooth further weakening it but that is a necessary downside of the procedure. A crown is placed over the remaining tooth structure like a "cap on a fencepost" to support tooth structure externally. READ MORE
Does Invisalign work permanently?
Invisalign only works "permanently" if you are consistent about wearing nighttime retainers. Without that, the teeth will predictably shift back. Retention for life is the current buzzword. READ MORE
Do dental implants last longer than bridges?
That is one of those" it depends" questions. Assuming that the conditions under which they are placed are optimal, they both can be in the category of the longest lasting procedures we do. Bridges are much harder to maintain on a daily basis and most fail due to lack of proper maintenance. Implants must also be maintained but are a lot easier. All things being equal, implants I think have the edge on longevity. READ MORE
Will gum abscess go away after a root canal?
the relationship between gums accesses and root canal accesses can be complicated. they are called "endo-perio abcesses" and come in a wide variety of involvement. More would have to be known to answer that. some do and some don't. READ MORE
How long after dental implants can I eat normal food?
You can eat norma food in most cases almost right away if you chew somewhere else in the mouth. to chew directly on an implant site is hard to be accurate to answer but a couple months would be reasonable. That answer will vary by the situation. READ MORE
Can salt water make tooth pain go away?
Salt water is soothing and antibacterial to issues with the gums or other soft tissues of the mouth. It has little or no effect on hard tooth structure. READ MORE
Areas of expertise and specialization
Awards
- Omicron Kappa Upsilon, dental scholastic honorary 1975 University of Pennsylvania
Professional Memberships
- American Dental Association
- American Academy of Implant Dentistry
- American Sleep and Breathing Academy
- DC Dental Society
- Advanced Laser Institute
- Institue for Craniofacial Sleep Medicine
- International College of Oral Implantologists
Charities and Philanthropic Endeavors
- Holocaust Survivors Program
Professional Society Memberships
- American Dental Association, DC Dental Society, American Academy of Implant Dentistry, International Congress of Oral Implantologists, Institute for Craniofacial Sleep Medicine
Dr. Russell Phillips, DMD's Practice location
Dr. Russell W. Phillips, DMD
1625 K St Nw Suite LL #1 -Washington, DC 20006Get Direction
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Patient Experience with Dr. Phillips
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Get to know Prosthodontist Dr. Russell Phillips, who serves patients in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Phillips is a trained periodontist with a private practice that provides comprehensive restorative and cosmetic dental care to a diversity of patients in downtown Washington, D.C. ranging from the busy executive to the suburbanite. His goal is to provide an exceptional dental experience that is worthy of long-term relationships producing enthusiastic recommendations for others to join in the same.
Growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Dr. Phillips first became interested in dentistry when a high school sports injury landed him in the dental chair and a career seed was planted. He attended college at Penn State University where he played on the varsity soccer team. His dental school was the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine where he received his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree with honors in 1975.
Following dental school, he spent two years in the Navy Dental Corps at Submarine Base New London and received extensive experience in oral surgery. He then returned to the University of Pennsylvania for a three year specialty combined certificate program in Periodontics, Fixed Prosthodontics / Periodontal Prosthesis. This intensive program focused on using periodontal principles to prosthetically restore mouths severely damaged by gum disease. It provided specialist training in periodontal surgical procedures and complex crown and bridge techniques.
Dr. Phillips came to Washington to launch his practice but continued to teach part time at The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Dental Residency Program for 13 years as an Assistant Clinical Professor.
A Fellow in the International College of Implantology, he is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, the DC Dental Society, the American Sleep and Breathing Academy, and several local study clubs.
Active in implant dentistry, Dr. Phillips both surgically places them and prepares for them to be placed with surgical bone grafting. He incorporates the newest techniques of using the cone beam dental ct scan to fabricate a surgical guide prior to the implant placement procedure where the site of implant placement is computer planned which functions to eliminate the human error of misdirecting the placement trajectory of the implant.
Additionally, he routinely uses the technique of PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin). These are blood products that are derived from a blood draw of the patient’s own blood and used to hasten and make less traumatic the healing process.
Several years ago, Dr. Phillips became quite passionately interested in a new wave of thinking that views growth and development in the light of its effect on sleep and breathing and deals with a medical team and whole health approach in the screening for and treatment of sleep apnea. He is a Vivos certified integrated practitioner in the use of the DNA functional orthodontic appliance, trained in laser dentistry, and certified in performing the LANAP technique which is incision and sutureless periodontal surgery. He also frequently gives public presentations to groups of patients from his own practice and to those people outside the practice who have breathing and sleep concerns, primarily sleep apnea.
Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry, is the area of dentistry that focuses on dental prostheses. Prosthodontists specialize in replacing missing teeth and associated oral structures by determining the type of dental prostheses required, having customized dental prostheses manufactured, and fitting them in patients’ mouths. They also treat temporomandibular disorders and various issues associated with damaged and problematic teeth.
Outside the four walls of his practice, Dr. Phillips has traveled on dental missions to Haiti and Nicaragua. He has three children. He enjoys woodcarving, sailing, photography, cycling, and the out of doors in general.
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