Health Care Patron PRSRT.STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Tampa, FL Permit No.2397 Brevard Health Care News Carrier-Route Pre Sort For additional health care information, visit us on the web at The online presence of Florida Health Care News Spring 2019 FEATURED ARTICLES CLARK F. BROWN, JR., DDS, P.A. WILLIAM S. VAUGHN, DMD Advanced technology creates bridges in a single visit (see Bridging the Gap, page 4) A native of the Washington, DC area, Robert*, 84, was a civil and water resources engineer for the federal government for more than 30 years. As a youth, Robert was blessed with excel- lent oral health. He credits his mother, who made sure he drank four glasses of milk each day, with the condition of his teeth. When Robert got older, however, his dental situation changed. “Growing up, I never had any real problems with my teeth, but when I was about thirty-five, I suffered a trauma on my front tooth,” Robert describes. “I was try- ing to show some kids how to break a log in the woods. I threw a log down on a rock, and it bounced up and hit me in the jaw. “at trauma lingered on, and the tooth remained loose for a couple of years. en the bone underneath the gum rotted away. I went to a dentist in Washington, and he replaced much of the bone, first with animal bone and then with human bone. He made me a false tooth that slid in and fit under my palate.” In the years since then, Robert lost a few teeth, and when he moved to Florida, he looked for a local provider to care for his dental needs. He discovered Clark F. Brown, Jr., DDS, of Implant Dentistry of Florida in Melbourne. Dr. Brown, with his associate, William S. Vaughn, DMD, provides a full scope of dental services, performing cosmetic and general dentistry as well as all phases of dental implant sur- gery and smile restoration. “I’ve been in Florida about twenty years now, and while I’ve been here, Dr. Brown has provided me with two bridges,” Robert relates. “e last one I received just recently. I was getting my teeth cleaned, and Dr. Brown found a softening under an existing bridge on the lower right side of my mouth. He said it was rotting underneath. “I also chipped one of the side teeth that was holding the bridge. It didn’t look very nice because it’s all metal there, and it was starting to show. Dr. Brown built up the chipped tooth to use as an anchor. He used a back tooth as another anchor, then made a beautiful, new bridge. e amazing part was he did it in one day. “I went to Implant Dentistry of Florida at three thirty in the afternoon and by six, Dr. Brown had done all the prelim work, and the bridge was being made in the back room by a mechanical procedure. By about seven, Dr. Brown was fitting it, smoothing it and gluing it into my mouth. en I left and went home – no trouble. I went in at three thirty and at seven, I came out with a new bridge.” CEREC® Circumstances Dr. Brown was able to create Robert’s bridge in one day by using a high-tech in-office system called CEREC which stands for chairside economical restoration of esthetic ceramics. is system uses state- of-the-art optical imaging and CAD/CAM technology to design and mill customized bridges that fit perfectly and match the color of patients’ surrounding teeth. “CEREC works by taking digital images inside the patient’s mouth and using those images to create a virtual model of the tooth structure,” Dr. Brown explains. “Using the model, we can vir- tually design the bridge on the computer, then we use the milling equipment in our office to fabricate the bridge. “We can add custom staining to match tooth color, then we fire the bridges in an oven, just like technicians do in a dental laboratory. e difference is we can have the finished products completed and in patients’ mouths in one day.” Using CEREC technology, patients such as Robert don’t have to suffer through gooey impressions to make molds of their teeth, wear temporary restorations that can break or fall off, or return to the dentist for a second visit to fit the final bridges. Dr. Brown can remove an old bridge, repair any damaged tooth structure and make a new bridge all in one visit. “When CEREC technology first came out, we were simply fabricating sin- gle crowns,” Dr. Brown notes. “With the advanced technology we have in our office now, we can also create multiple-unit bridges, up to three or four units. We pos- sess the special milling chambers necessary to make these longer bridges.” e crown and bridge restorations created by CEREC are made of all- porcelain materials. Previously, these res- torations were made of porcelain fused to metal. When the gums receded, the metal base became visible in the form of a dark line along the gumline. “Robert’s new bridge was made of a zirconium oxide porcelain, which is extremely strong as well as tooth-colored,” Dr. Brown informs. “Now, if his gums recede, only the tooth-colored porcelain will be visible. ere will be no dark line.” Absolutely Excellent To Robert’s delight, Dr. Brown crafted a new, all-porcelain bridge for him during one visit to the dental office. Robert was also impressed with Dr. Brown’s treat- ment process as well as the quality of the restoration the dentist created using his advanced CEREC technology. “My new bridge is excellent and working very well,” Robert raves. “To fit it, Dr. Brown ground down my chipped tooth, then built it up and used it as the foundation for the bridge. He used three teeth in all to anchor it in place. I’m very happy with my new bridge. I absolutely recommend Dr. Brown’s process for creating bridges in one day.” While Robert is extremely pleased with his finished restoration, he’s also very Richard Leong, Jr., DDS, P.A. 6 Modern Symfony A Whole New Look On Your Toes Living Cancer Free 2 The Eye Institute for Medicine & Surgery 8 Lake Washington Foot & Ankle FHCN Special Report Allergic to Eats? EarCare, P.A. Hearing Is Believing Encompass Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Hospital Choose Wisely Havkin Urology The Time Is Now Dean Wellness Institute Icing on the Cake Hibiscus Court Vial of LIFE Regenerative Biologics Institute Spared from Surgery Cancer Care Centers of Brevard 10 IMPLANT, COSMETIC AND GENERAL DENTISTRY A PUBLICATION OF FLORIDA HEALTH CARE NEWS, INC. Brevard Health Care News
Transcript
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For additional health care information,
visit us on the web at
The online
presence of
Florida Health
Care News
Florida’s Largest Health Care Inform
ation Publications
Spring 2019
FEATURED ARTICLES
CLARK F. BROWN, JR., DDS, P.A.WILLIAM S. VAUGHN, DMD
Advanced technology
creates bridges in a single visit
(see Bridging the Gap, page 4)
Bridging the Gap
A native of the Washington, DC area, Robert*, 84, was a civil and water resources engineer for the federal government for more than 30 years.
As a youth, Robert was blessed with excel-lent oral health. He credits his mother, who made sure he drank four glasses of milk each day, with the condition of his teeth.
When Robert got older, however, his dental situation changed.
“Growing up, I never had any real problems with my teeth, but when I was about thirty-� ve, I su� ered a trauma on my front tooth,” Robert describes. “I was try-ing to show some kids how to break a log in the woods. I threw a log down on a rock, and it bounced up and hit me in the jaw.
“� at trauma lingered on, and the tooth remained loose for a couple of years. � en the bone underneath the gum rotted away. I went to a dentist in Washington, and he replaced much of the bone, � rst with animal bone and then with human bone. He made me a false tooth that slid in and � t under my palate.”
In the years since then, Robert lost a few teeth, and when he moved to Florida, he looked for a local provider to care for his dental needs. He discovered Clark F. Brown, Jr., DDS, of Implant Dentistry of Florida in Melbourne. Dr. Brown, with his associate, William S. Vaughn, DMD, provides a full scope of dental services, performing cosmetic and general dentistry as well as all phases of dental implant sur-gery and smile restoration.
“I’ve been in Florida about twenty years now, and while I’ve been here, Dr. Brown has provided me with two bridges,” Robert relates. “� e last one I received just recently. I was getting my teeth cleaned, and Dr. Brown found a softening under an existing bridge on the lower right side of my mouth. He said it was rotting underneath.
“I also chipped one of the side teeth that was holding the bridge. It didn’t look very nice because it’s all metal there, and it was starting to show. Dr. Brown built up the chipped tooth to use as an anchor. He used a back tooth as another anchor, then made a beautiful, new bridge. � e amazing part was he did it in one day.
“I went to Implant Dentistry of Florida at three thirty in the afternoon and by six, Dr. Brown had done all the prelim work, and the bridge was being made in the back room by a mechanical procedure. By about seven, Dr. Brown was � tting it, smoothing it and gluing it into my mouth. � en I left and went home – no trouble. I went in at three thirty and at seven, I came out with a new bridge.”
CEREC® CircumstancesDr. Brown was able to create Robert’s bridge in one day by using a high-tech in-office system called CEREC which stands for chairside economical restoration of esthetic ceramics. � is system uses state-of-the-art optical imaging and CAD/CAM technology to design and mill customized bridges that � t perfectly and match the color of patients’ surrounding teeth.
“CEREC works by taking digital images inside the patient’s mouth and using those images to create a virtual model of the tooth structure,” Dr. Brown explains. “Using the model, we can vir-tually design the bridge on the computer, then we use the milling equipment in our o� ce to fabricate the bridge.
“We can add custom staining to match tooth color, then we � re the bridges in an oven, just like technicians do in a dental laboratory. � e di� erence is we can have the � nished products completed and in patients’ mouths in one day.”
Using CEREC technology, patients such as Robert don’t have to su� er through gooey impressions to make molds of their teeth, wear temporary restorations that can
break or fall o� , or return to the dentist for a second visit to � t the � nal bridges. Dr. Brown can remove an old bridge, repair any damaged tooth structure and make a new bridge all in one visit.
“When CEREC technology first came out, we were simply fabricating sin-gle crowns,” Dr. Brown notes. “With the advanced technology we have in our o� ce now, we can also create multiple-unit bridges, up to three or four units. We pos-sess the special milling chambers necessary to make these longer bridges.”
� e crown and bridge restorations created by CEREC are made of all-porcelain materials. Previously, these res-torations were made of porcelain fused to metal. When the gums receded, the metal base became visible in the form of a dark line along the gumline.
“Robert’s new bridge was made of a zirconium oxide porcelain, which is extremely strong as well as tooth-colored,” Dr. Brown informs. “Now, if his gums recede, only the tooth-colored porcelain will be visible. � ere will be no dark line.”
Absolutely ExcellentTo Robert’s delight, Dr. Brown crafted a new, all-porcelain bridge for him during one visit to the dental o� ce. Robert was also impressed with Dr. Brown’s treat-ment process as well as the quality of the restoration the dentist created using his advanced CEREC technology.
“My new bridge is excellent and working very well,” Robert raves. “To � t it, Dr. Brown ground down my chipped tooth, then built it up and used it as the foundation for the bridge. He used three teeth in all to anchor it in place. I’m very happy with my new bridge. I absolutely recommend Dr. Brown’s process for creating bridges in one day.”
While Robert is extremely pleased with his � nished restoration, he’s also very
Richard Leong, Jr., DDS, P.A.
6Modern Symfony
A Whole New Look
On Your Toes
Living Cancer Free
2The Eye
Institute for Medicine &
Surgery
8Lake
Washington Foot & Ankle
FHCN Special ReportAllergic to Eats?
EarCare, P.A.Hearing Is Believing
Encompass Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Hospital
Choose Wisely
Havkin UrologyThe Time Is Now
Dean Wellness Institute Icing on the Cake
Hibiscus Court Vial of LIFE
Regenerative Biologics Institute Spared from Surgery
Cancer Care Centers of
Brevard
10
Implant, CosmetIC and General dentIstry
A PUBLICATION OF FLORIDA HEALTH CARE NEWS, INC.
Brevard Health Care News
A PUBLICATION OF FLORIDA HEALTH CARE NEWS, INC.
Brevard Health Care News
Visit The Eye Institute for Medicine & Surgery online at www.SeeBetterBrevard.com
James N. McManus, MD, is board certi� ed by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He grad-uated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned his
medical doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in 1983. He completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School and his internship at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. Dr. McManus is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Brevard County Medical Society, the Florida Medical Association and the Florida Society of Ophthalmology.
Jason K. Darlington, MD, graduated with highest honors from the University of California Davis. He attended UC Davis Medical School, fol-lowed by an internship at Scripps Mercy Hospital in
San Diego. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at UC Davis. His fellowship in cornea diseases, transplants, cataract surgery and other advanced anterior seg-ment surgery, glaucoma management and surgery, and LASIK and refractive surgery was completed at the prestigious Philips Eye Institute in Minneapolis under the direction of Thomas Samuelson, MD, and Richard Lindstrom, MD. Dr. Darlington is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, and he joined the sta� at The Eye Institute for Medicine & Surgery in January 2015 after nine years of private practice in the Los Angeles area.
Modern Symfony®
Multifocal lens improves vision, quality of life
Barbara received the specialized treatment
she desired
Frank now has a clear
vision of his retirement
Philadelphia native Frank Armstrong began wearing contact lenses when he was 12 years old. Since then, his eyesight has steadily deteriorated and his lens prescrip-tions have become stronger and stronger.
Following his retirement three years ago, Frank noticed his vision was no lon-ger sharp, even when he was wearing his contacts.
“It started getting bad, espe-cially at night, when my vision was unclear,” he describes. “Seeing was a challenge, and I became less con� dent in my ability to see well enough to drive at night.
“I saw halos, and the bright-ness of the headlights from the cars coming toward me would wash everything out. I couldn’t
see anything and almost had to guess where I was on the road.
“I also like to read, and I was hav-ing to rely a lot on reading glasses, which I find terribly inconvenient. I would be constantly putting them on and taking them off.”
When Frank went to his eye doctor, the doctor suspected Frank had cataracts and referred him to James N. McManus, MD, of � e Eye Institute for Medicine & Surgery in Melbourne. Dr. McManus confirmed the cataract diagnosis and scheduled Frank for surgery. Before the procedure, they discussed replacement lenses for Frank’s cloudy natural lenses.
“I did my research and noted that with some of the lenses, I would have to lean on reading glasses a lot,” states Frank. “When Dr. McManus said there was a new type of lens that would enable me to read without glasses, I opted for that. � at was the main driving force for me to select the Tecnis Symfony lens.”
� e Symfony lens is among the latest generation of multifocal lenses, which are lenses that allow patients to see at more than one distance. Older generation mul-tifocal lenses enabled patients to see in the distance and up close, but they proved to be less e� ective in providing clear vision in the intermediate range, which is so important for today’s active people.
“The intermediate distance is essentially the working range,” notes Dr. McManus. “� is is the distance for people to look at their cells phones, the speedometer and dashboard in their cars, and their computers. � is distance is usu-ally not well treated with conventional multifocal lenses.
“� e Symfony allows patients to have what’s called blended vision or extended depth of focus. It enables patients to see distant and intermediate ranges. The Symfony decreases the patient’s depen-dency on corrective lenses, so it was a good option for Frank.”
Search for ExpertiseSnowbird Barbara Arnold spends most of the year in Melbourne, but returns to her native Maine for the summer months. � e last time she was there, she saw her eye doctor for a routine examination. � is time, though, she had some new symptoms to report.
“I’ve had poor eyesight my whole life,” Barbara relates. “I was one of those kids who wore big, thick glasses. � en, when I was a teenager, I got contact lenses. But I always struggled to have good vision.
“Last summer, I noticed my vision was blurry, and I wasn’t able to see like I used to. I was having trouble driving at night because of the blurriness and glare. I made an appointment for a new prescription, but my eye doctor told me I had cataracts.”
� e doctor in Maine o� ered to do the surgery, but Barbara wanted a surgeon who specializes in cataract surgery to do her procedure. A friend was a patient of Jason K. Darlington, MD, at � e Eye Institute for Medicine & Surgery and highly recommended him. When she returned to Florida, Barbara made an appointment with Dr. Darlington.
“Dr. Darlington explained my sit-uation and then talked to me about the di� erent types of replacement lenses avail-able,” says Barbara. “He wanted to make sure I was well-informed as to the choices available. But he left the decision up to me. I really gave it some thought, and I picked the Symfony lens.”
Barbara had a secondary issue a� ect-ing her vision. In addition to cataracts, she also had a great deal of astigmatism, a defect in the curvature of the cornea. � is caused her to be completely depen-dent upon glasses for every aspect of her visual needs. In the past, multifocal lens implants could not correct astigmatism.
“Barbara had a great deal of astigmatism in both eyes,” confirms Dr. Darlington. “Just a few years ago, her lens implant options would have been quite limited. She would likely still need glasses for both distance and near vision.
Today, the options have improved with the newer-technology lenses.
“One bene� t of the Symfony lens is that it not only provides extended range of vision, it also treats astigmatism. With this lens, we do not have to make extra incisions in the eye to reshape the cornea and correct the astigmatism.”
Life-Changing Alterations� e procedures to remove Frank’s and Barbara’s cataract-laden natural lenses and replace them with Symfony lens implants made a big di� erence in both their lives.
“After my procedures, my eyes were 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other – basically perfect vision,” marvels Frank. “It was quite a revelation, after wearing contacts for most of my life, to see very clearly when I woke up in the morning and not need to think about contacts.
“The Symfony lenses have made a big difference. I don’t wear reading glasses anymore. I don’t even carry read-ing glasses. I can read everything I need to read and want to read without them.”
Barbara also experienced success-ful results after her cataract procedures. She says she’s still in shock because the improvement in her vision was apparent so quickly after surgery.
“� e next day, I had 20/20 vision,” she enthuses. “It’s amazing. I’ve never seen this well before. Now, I don’t need glasses or contacts for anything. I can read. I can see long distance and up close. � e blurriness is totally gone. I have great vision now.
“Dr. Darlington and the sta� at � e Eye Institute for Medicine and Surgery are very friendly. Getting cataract surgery with the Symfony lenses is one of the best things to ever happen to me.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photos by Nerissa Johnson. mkb
JAMES N. MCMANUS, MDGARY J. GANIBAN, MD
MICHAEL N. MANDESE, OD, FAAOHETAL D. VAISHNAV, MD
PATRICIA K. LAFLEUR, MDJASON K. DARLINGTON, MD
ERIC R. STRAUT, OD
Comprehensive Eye Evaluations
When it comes to your eyesight, only the best will do. Please call
to schedule a comprehensive eye examination with one of the specialists at The Eye Institute for
Medicine & Surgery. There are four offi ces to serve you.
Melbourne W. NASA Blvd., Suite
Rockledge S. Woods Drive
Palm Bay Babcock Street NE
Titusville Garden Street
(321) 722-4443
Page 2 | Brevard Health Care News | Spring 2019 ophthalmoloGy
Want to know more? Visit Regenerative Biologics Institute online at www.rbistemcell.com
BRETT HAAKE, DOJASON GRIFFETH, MS
FELICE HAAKE, DOJAY JOHNSTON, MMS, PA-C
DON PORTELL, MD
Repairing the Body a More Natural Way
The clinical team at Regenerative Biologics Institute has the expertise to offer the most advanced anti-aging and regenerative therapies to help patients sustain their health and quality of life. For more information about the latest in anti-aging and regenerative therapies, and about achieving optimal health in a more natural way, please call or visit the Institute in Vero Beach at:
3730 7th TerraceSuite 302A
(772) 492-6973
W hile playing tennis two years ago, Stuart Hamilton reached up for an overhead
shot. As he did, he awkwardly twisted his left knee and damaged its already degenerating meniscus, which is the crescent-shaped pad of cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee joint.
Nine years earlier, Stuart had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. � e tennis injury left him with identical knees. Both were arthritic and painful.
“Most of the time, it was a constant, nagging pain, so every time I sat down, I rubbed my knees,” the Cincinnati, Ohio native and retired health care electronics business owner says. “Sometimes, it was quite painful, and I tried everything to ease the discomfort.
“� e only thing that helped at all was an arthritis pain relief cream, but the pain just wouldn’t go away. When I got out of bed in the morning, I had to stand up for a minute and let my knees get together before I could even start heading out for my day in the sandbox.
“I never stopped playing tennis. I just endured the pain. But there was a time when my knees were so painful, I wasn’t very good on the tennis court. I mostly hobbled around, so I wasn’t much fun to play with.”
While Stuart’s right knee contin-ued to ache, the surgery on that knee stabilized it somewhat. But the incident on the tennis court initiated a two-year search for pain relief that nearly ended in major surgery on his left knee.
“I tried the lubricating shots in that knee a couple of times, but they didn’t work,” he recounts. “� en, I went to an orthopedic surgeon, who gave me a cor-tisone shot in my left knee.
“� at worked well, and the relief it provided lasted about a year. But it was a temporary shot, and every time I went to the orthopedic doctor, he said, You’re my next victim for a knee replacement.
“A friend of mine had that surgery, and I watched him go through a lot of discomfort. I thought, I don’t want to go through that if I don’t have to. A guy I play tennis with told me his wife had stem cell therapy and got amazing results.
“She couldn’t even get up the stairs in her condo, but two weeks after get-ting the therapy, she was running up the stairs. After hearing about that, I started looking into stem cell ther-apy and found Regenerative Biologics Institute [RBI] in Vero Beach.”
At RBI, Stuart met with Jason Gri� eth, MS, clinical director and stem cell scientist. Jason and the other regen-erative medicine specialists at RBI have spent ten years optimizing the Institute’s unique treatment protocol, TruGenta™ Injection � erapy.
“TruGenta is a proprietary for-mulation of the highest-quality stem cells, platelets and other bioactive growth factors,” Jason explains. “� e cells and growth factors work together to stimulate healing in an arthritic or injured joint. It’s an excellent nonsur-gical treatment option for people with degenerating joints, such as Stuart.”
“I went to RBI, talked to Jason and watched the treatment video,” Stuart relates. “The w h o l e t h i n g sounded logical, and I thought, Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
Maximizing the Long-Term Eff ectsJason remembers Stuart’s condition when he arrived at RBI. He describes Stuart as experiencing s i g n i f i c a n t pain due to degenerative osteoarthritis in his knees and facing joint replacement sur-gery. Jason and his colleagues at RBI elected to treat Stuart with TruGenta Injection � erapy.
“Our goal with TruGenta is to treat patients like Stuart with the highest-possible quantity of mesenchy-mal stem cells,” Jason informs. “� ose are the soft-tissue-forming, healing cells of the body.
“We isolate millions of those cells, harvested from the fat of the abdomen or � anks, combine them with platelet-rich plasma [PRP] from the patient’s blood and directly inject them into the area of need with real-time ultrasound guidance.
“This combination gives patients with degenerative arthritis the best chance at a long-term regenerative e� ect. � ere are therapies on the market that can produce an anti-in� ammatory e� ect, but with TruGenta, we maximize the regenera-tive e� ect by using these high quantities of mesenchymal stem cells.”
Mesenchymal stem cells work in several steps, Jason explains. Once injected into the area of need, such as a knee joint, they adhere to the local tis-sues and bones then begin to replicate.
� ey then begin to crowd the area and start to fuse, and can form new tissue. Adding the PRP and bioactive growth factors further stimulates the mesenchy-mal stem cells to grow within the joints.
“These stem cells are also highly anti-in� ammatory by nature, so they substantially reduce in� ammation and
pain,” Jason observes. “� ey also release many therapeutic proteins, including
those that recruit other stem cells from around the body to the
area injected. Some of those proteins generate a new blood supply, which aids
in healing.“Mesenchymal stem cells
are very smart and are natu-rally programmed to heal and repair tissue. � at’s why we place high concentrations
of them into areas of injury or degeneration with precision using
real-time ultrasound guidance.”RBI has recently launched
a new therapy that’s a variation of TruGenta Injection � erapy called TruGenta PTM � erapy. PTM therapy combines the TruGenta formulation, which uses living stem cells from patients’ bodies, with pla-centa-derived growth factors
in the form of extracellular matrix growth factors.
“These growth factors help provide structural sup-port to the cells in the area we inject,” Jason educates. “� ey also recruit other stem cells from around the body to the area of need. We’re hoping that TruGenta PTM � erapy will help even better to form new tissue in patients
with severely degenerated joints, such as those that are
bone-on-bone.”
Order on the CourtIn an e� ort to decrease the
in� ammation and swelling in Stuart’s knees, Jason
recommended he not play tennis for at least a week prior
to receiving the TruGenta Injection � erapy, which Stuart described as quick and painless.
“On July sixteenth last summer, I walked into RBI,” Stuart recounts. “Two hours later, I walked out, and the entire process was completed using
stem cells from the fat in my � anks and platelet-rich plasma from my blood.
“It was comforting to know there was nothing foreign going into my body, and the process was virtually painless. I had the therapy on both knees and started feeling pain relief right away, so I started playing tennis again.
“But I think the most telling time is when I get up out of bed in the morning. � at’s when my knees used to ache a lot. Now, there’s no pain whatsoever. Now, I feel like a million bucks. I just walked two miles this morning, and I felt fabu-lous. My knees are one hundred percent better. � ere’s no pain. It’s a pleasure to walk around without knee pain.”
At his tennis club, Stuart calls him-self the “stem cell � ower boy.” He says many people have come up to him ask-ing about his experience with stem cell therapy. They also inquire about the treatment process and recovery, and where he had his therapy performed.
“I gave the gal behind the desk all the information about stem cell therapy and RBI, and she gives it out to members who ask about it,” Stuart states. “I promote RBI and TruGenta Injection � erapy to the best of my ability down there.
“If anybody asks me about RBI or stem cell therapy, I say they’re great,” he enthuses. “� e sta� is very professional and efficient, and I think TruGenta Injection � erapy is the way to go. It cer-tainly worked for me. It was fabulous!” FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa
Johnson. mkb
Spared from SurgeryRegenerative technique restores arthritic knees
Spring 2019 | Brevard Health Care News | Page 3stem Cell treatment
(continued from page 1)compl imentary of Dr. Brown, hi s s ta f f and Implant Dentistry of Florida.
“I’m always happy to go there because the place is so nice,” he says. “� e people are good to me, and Dr. Brown treats me very well. I’m very happy with him, and I absolutely recommend him.
“My experiences at Implant Dentistry of Florida are always pleas-ant and e� cient. And everything is done knowledgeably. I can’t say anything bad about Dr. Brown and his sta� . � ey’re great and they provide great dentistry.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Bridge graphic from kisspng. Amy’s photo by Nerissa Johnson.
Smile graphic from kisspng. mkb
*Patient’s name withheld at his request.
For more information, please visit www.drimplant.com
State-of-the-Art Dental CareDr. Brown and his team look forward to meeting the readers of Brevard Health Care News. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, visit or call the offi ces of Implant Dentistry of Florida in Melbourne at:
1801 W. Hibiscus Blvd.
(321) 372-7700
Clark F. Brown, Jr., DDS, is board certi� ed by the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego, and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Georgetown University. Dr. Brown served as a dentist in the US Air Force from 1978 to 1981. He has been in private practice in Melbourne since 1981. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry, International Congress of Oral Implantologists, American Society of Osseointegration and American College of Forensic Examiners and is a fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
William S. Vaughn, DMD, earned his undergraduate degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College and his Master of Science degree in Oral Biology and Doctor of Oral Medicine degree from the University of Louisville. Dr. Vaughn has participated in clinical research involving cone beam CT scanning, pharmacology and implant planning, and has been published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants. He is a member of the American Association of Implant Dentistry, Academy of General Dentistry and American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. Dr. Vaughn has been in practice at Implant Dentistry of Florida since August 2016.
Bridging the Gap
A s a medical aesthetician in a plastic surgeon’s o� ce, Amy Burton watches her patients alter aspects of their appearance that bother them aesthetically and take a toll on their con� dence. � at made Amy more aware of her own appearance and prompted her to recently consider � xing a � aw she had since childhood.
“I grew up with crooked teeth, and I decided to focus on � xing them,” shares the native Floridian. “Fixing my teeth was one of the � rst aesthetic procedures I invested in for myself.
I did research looking for an all-inclusive dental practice where I could get everything from a tooth pulled to cosmetic work to my teeth cleaned. Implant Dentistry of Florida is very much that type of practice.”
When Amy went to Implant Dentistry of Florida, she explained her situation to Dr. Brown, who recommended Invisalign invisible aligners. Dr. Brown believed Invisalign would be easier and more aesthetically pleasing for her than traditional braces, especially considering she made
her living in aesthetics.“Invisalign has been the easiest process, and it’s virtually painless,” Amy reports. “It’s easy to
keep up with cleaning them, and I’m able to continue drinking things I enjoy, like red wine and black tea, which I wouldn’t be able to drink with traditional braces.
“I also like that I can take out the aligners for special occasions, like when I’m having pictures taken with my friends and family. I can remove them and put them back in.
“� e straightening process has come along very quickly. I still have sev-eral months left before my treatment is complete, but I’ve noticed a lot of improvement. My teeth are incredibly straight already. It’s de� nitely been a great boost to my con� dence because I’m more con� dent in my smile.”
Secondary Benefi tDr. Brown notes that, generally, adults who want to straighten their teeth don’t want to wear traditional metal braces. Metal braces can have a somewhat childish appearance. But Invisalign is nearly invisible and can be removed if adults have to make public appearances or attend important functions.
“Invisalign does require a certain amount of compliance on the patient’s part,” Dr. Brown states. “� e aligners must be worn any time the person is not eating, and the person must have very good oral hygiene to be a candidate for Invisalign. Amy met all of the criteria.
“Amy was a bit self-conscious about her smile. She had some crowding that required a few teeth to be extracted to make room for the teeth to move and straighten. She started on Invisalign treatment, and she’s very happy with her results thus far.”
A secondary bene� t of Invisalign is the aligners can also be used as whitening trays.
“Patients simply place whitening gel inside the Invisalign trays while they wear them,” Dr. Brown describes. “It’s an added cosmetic bene� t of Invisalign. It’s not just invisible; it’s also enhancing the overall appearance of patients’ smiles by whitening their teeth as they straighten.”
Richard Leong, Jr., DDS, P.A.Implant and Cosmetic Dentistry
Lake Washington Foot & AnklePodiatry
Hibiscus CourtAssisted Living Facility 9039
Encompass Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Hospital
Rehabilitation
Cancer Care Centers of BrevardOncology
Havkin UrologyMen’s Health/Urology
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215 Bullard ParkwayTemple Terrace, FL 33617
(813) 989-1330
Brevard Health Care News
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Implant, CosmetIC and General dentIstry
Those pastry chefs and cake design-ers competing on television shows such as Last Cake Standing on the Food Network have nothing on Jan Neubauer, a former bookkeeper who thought while watching one such
show several years back, I can do that.
And do it she does.Now 62, Jan has been baking since her mother
started teaching her the tricks of the trade when she was eight years old, and she is now the proprietor of U Take the Cake, a specialty cake shop in Vero Beach.
“We do birthday cakes, wedding cakes, anniversary cakes, just about anything anybody wants,’’ Jan says. “We even do cupcakes. I’ve been at it about seven years now, so it’s pretty much become a paying hobby for me.”
Jan’s paying hobby is one that keeps her on her feet throughout the day. To help her keep up her stamina and to ward o� other menopausal symptoms such as depres-sion and hot � ashes, Jan regularly undergoes bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
“I started the therapy back when I was in my forties,” Jan explains. “I owned another business at the time, but there were days when I couldn’t bring myself to stay at work because I was so depressed and moody and anxious.
“My husband is the one who actually did the research and discovered it, and for years, I had to travel all the way to Orlando to get the therapy because that was the closest place I could � nd where there was a doctor providing it.”
Jan’s long trips to Orlando to receive BHRT ended several years ago when she learned that Melissa Dean, MD, of the Dean Wellness Institute in Vero Beach, was o� ering the therapy as well.
administered in a number of di� er-ent ways.
“Some people want to do topical creams, which are very inexpensive and easily managed, while oth-ers prefer sublingual tablets,’’ Dr. Dean educates. “We also do a lot of bioidentical hormone pellets, which are about two times the size of a grain of rice.
“With the pellet therapy, we make a small incision and insert the pellet subcutaneously [below the skin]. � e pellet slowly dissolves into the tissue and gets absorbed into the system. Many patients � nd that approach to be much easier than managing a daily application.”
Prior to prescribing bioidentical hormone replacement treatments, Dr. Dean meets with the patient to learn of their activity levels, lifestyle choices and medical history, includ-ing where women are in the cycle of life.
She then orders lab work to determine the patient’s exact levels of speci� c hormones such as estradiol, progesterone and testosterone, which is followed by a discussion of how those levels relate to the patient’s symptoms.
“After that, it’s a matter of educating the patient regard-ing the di� erent modalities of administering bioidentical hormone replacement because it’s not one size � ts all,’’ Dr. Dean says. “� e patient’s lifestyle and ability to remember to take something really plays into which modality will work best.
“For example, some people don’t really look at the topical cream as a medication, but it certainly is, and if they’re not good at taking something consistently, then a daily application is not going to work best for them.
“Finally, there is an ongoing management because intermittently – every four to six months – we get new labs and check where the patient’s levels are and how they’re feeling, and based on those levels, we can either change the dose or keep it as it is.”
Back in Line When Jan � rst began receiving bioidentical hormone replacement therapy nearly 20 years ago, she had just begun a new business venture, running a gym in Vero Beach. She says she never would have succeeded in that venture were it not for the hormone treatments.
“At the time, I was on antidepressants, but after a while, I was able to come o� those because I really wasn’t depressed,’’ Jan reveals. “It was the fact that my hormones were all out of whack. � at’s what was causing me to feel so down.
“My hormones were also causing me to lose a lot of energy, and the antidepressants were causing me to gain
ICING ON THE CAKEHormone replacement therapy renews spice for life
Melissa Dean, MD, specializes in internal and general preventative medicine and is an expert in treating menopause and andropause. She has also been expertly trained in the field of diabetes man-agement, hormone replacement and nutrition. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1997 and her Master’s degree in the same discipline in 1998. She earned her medical degree from Ross
University of Medicine in 2003 and completed her residency train-ing in internal medicine at Orlando Regional Medical Center. She was fellowship trained at the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and earned a second Master’s degree in Metabolic Medicine from the University of South Florida in 2012. In addition to her work domestically, Dr. Dean has traveled to Ireland, Central America and the Amazon to either study local medicine or take part in medical missions.
To learn more about their treatment options, please visit www.deanwellnessinstitute.com
Dean Wellness InstituteDean Wellness Institute has been serving Vero Beach and its surrounding areas for over 15 years. The institute is focused on providing a holistic approach to wellness and improved health and works closely with its patients to improve their quality of life. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call or visit them in Vero Beach at:
1345 36th St.Suite B
(772) 567-1500
Our Mission:To work with each patient in a team approach and provide the most up-to-date information in an integrative manner that empowers each patient to be the best they choose to be. Our focus is getting to the root cause of health issues, rather than just treating the symptom.
MELISSA DEAN, MD
weight. But once I started getting the hormone treat-ments, I started gaining energy back and losing weight.
“To give you an idea of how well the treatments work, my husband, whom I lost last year, used to be able to tell when my hormones were getting out of whack or I needed to get checked again because he could see my mood change.
“He used to say subtly, Isn’t it about time for you to go get a new pellet? And, of course, he was usually right because about that time, I’d start to feel a bit run down and a bit low, so it was obviously making a di� erence.
“� ere’s no question that I’m happier and have a lot more energy because of the hormone therapy. I know I’m aging, but I don’t feel like I’m aging at all. And I’ve felt like this for so long now that I’ve almost forgotten what it was I felt like before.”
� at, says Dr. Dean, is one of the great bene� ts of BHRT.
“Because of the advances in medicine and science, we’re living much longer now than we used to,’’ she says. “So the question is, how do you want to live the last thirty to forty years of your life?
“Some people would like to have something that helps them preserve their balance, their memory and gives them a renewed vitality and energy, things along these lines. � is is a method to do just that.”
Jan concurs.“Any woman of my age that I meet who complains
about anything, the first thing I tell them to do is go see Dr. Dean and get BHRT. It’s remarkable how well it works.” FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Cake graphic from Pixabay.com. nj
Expert in the FieldDr. Dean has been specially trained in the area of BHRT, which is designed to treat men and women whose hormones are low or out of balance. BHRT is considered the most natural and e� ective solution for hormone-related issues.
� ose issues include insomnia, vaginal dryness and an inability to focus. BHRT has also proven to be e� ective in preventing diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease while also slowing the aging process.
Bioidentical hormones are natural byproducts of a plant derivative that are molecularly identical to the hormones produced by the human body and can be
Spring 2019 | Brevard Health Care News | Page 5InteGratIve medICIne
New York City native Louis Rodriguez finished his career as a laundry man-ager in style. After serving two hospitals in that capac-
ity, he spent his last 18 years in the industry running the laundry service at the famous Fontainebleau® Hotel on Miami Beach.
“It’s a special place,” the 75-year-old Palm Bay resident says of the Fontainebleau. “I especially like the beach there. It’s beautiful.”
For years, Louis wished he could have said the same about his smile. Unfortunately, the loss of several back teeth and some extensive wear on many of his remaining teeth left Louis with a smile he was not eager to show o� .
Those same issues were also causing Louis a lot of pain. When he ate, for exam-ple, his upper front teeth would become very sore. He was also experiencing a lot of pain in the gums behind his upper front teeth.
It was that pain that recently sent Louis in search of a dentist who could help
him with the problem. � e search ended one day late last year while Louis was wait-ing to be seen for a checkup by his primary care physician.
“I was in the waiting room reading a newspaper, Florida Health Care News, and I saw this article about a dentist that was nearby,” Louis recounts. “I knew I had to do something about this problem I was having, so I decided to go see him.”
� e dentist Louis read about is Richard Leong, Jr., DDS, a general and implant dentist who practices comprehensive, full-treatment dentistry, including full
mouth reconstructions. Upon � rst examin-ing Louis, Dr. Leong immediately discovered the cause of his discomfort.
“It was a bite problem,” Dr. Leong reveals. “Because he was missing a lot of back teeth, when he bit down, his upper front teeth were coming down over his lower front teeth, and that was causing a scissoring-like action on the gums behind his front teeth. � at had caused his jaw and some remaining teeth to shift, which resulted in some bone loss in the jaw area where teeth were missing.
“That’s why he was experiencing so much pain with his gums and his teeth. He came in thinking there was something wrong with his teeth and that he needed them taken out, but I told him that wasn’t necessary, that what we needed to do was � x his bite.”
Pleased to hear that he didn’t need to have his front teeth removed, Louis agreed to have Dr. Leong correct his bite. � at work began with Dr. Leong doing a comprehen-sive evaluation of Louis’ mouth, after which Dr. Leong came up with a treatment plan.
The treatment plan was extensive. It included some standard dental work to � ll several cavities and periodontal treatments to correct some advanced gum disease. When that work was completed, Dr. Leong began the di� cult task of correcting Louis’ bite.
“� e jaw bone is meant to have roots in it, and when those roots are there, they stimulate bone growth,” Dr. Leong educates. “When there are no roots, the opposite hap-pens, and the jaw bone slowly shrinks away.
“� at was part of the problem Louis was having, so I told him, We � rst have to deter-mine where the upper and lower jaws should
Richard Leong, Jr., DDS, is a general and implant dentist practicing com-prehensive dentistry. He is one of the few dentists in the area who place special emphasis on treatment of dental implants and temporomandibular joint dysfunctions, lasers, CT scans and Invisalign® orthodontics. A pioneer in the � eld of dental implantology, he has been performing dental implant surgeries since 1975. Dr. Leong graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his dental degree from the Un iversity of Tennessee School of Dentistry in Memphis. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, a Master in the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics, a Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantology and a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. His professional memberships include
the American Dental Association, the Florida Dental Association, the Brevard County Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the International Congress of Oral Implantology, the American College of Oral Implantology, the American Academy of Implants and Transplants, the International College of Cranio-Mandibular Orthopedics, the American Society of Osseointegration and the International Institute for Christian Studies. In addition, Dr. Leong is co-chairman of the implantology division at Atlantic Coast Research Center in West Palm Beach, FL, where he teaches dental implantology. He lectures nationally and internationally on the subjects of dental implants, temporomandibular dysfunction treatments, neuromuscular occlusion, practice management, lasers in dentistry and CT 3-D scans in general dentistry.
For more information, visit Dr. Leong’s website at www.richardleongdds.com
FOR ALL YOUR DENTAL NEEDSDr. Leong and his staff invite you to call or visit their office
and discover that high-quality technical expertise can coexist within a warm, casual, welcoming environment.
Dr. Leong’s office is located in Melbourne at:
400 South Babcock Street
(321) 723-7255
• Function and feel like natural teeth, allowing you to eat and speak comfortably
• Can be restored to look like natural teeth, so you can smile with con� dence
• Maintain the bone structures of the jaws and face, preventing the premature aging process often associated with tooth and bone loss
• Firmly and securely support dental work, eliminating the need for bulky, plastic dentures, or adhesives
• Help prevent decay in the jawbone
• Dental implants will usually last a lifetime
Why Choose Dental Implants:
The result of Louis’ dental
restoration was a dream smile
A Dentist and a Teacher
With more than four decades of dental experience, Dr. Leong began teach-
ing implantology in 1982. He recently became an adjunct professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, where he teaches the dental aspect of biomed-ical engineering.
In addition, Dr. Leong also teaches dental implantology at � e Atlantic Dental Research Clinic in West Palm Beach, where he lectures and oversees surgical procedures performed by practicing dentists who are learning about dental implants.
Dr. Leong was recently given an award for 30 years of teaching there. His career is one de� ned by his passion for learning as well as his thirst for knowledge, which he enjoys passing on to his dental students.
“At this point in my career, I really enjoy helping people in di� erent ways, either through teaching dentistry or working directly with patients. I love giving something back. � ere’s always something new to learn and incorporate into your practice. Technology is ever-evolving, and we keep up with it here in the o� ce.
“I maintain advanced equipment in my o� ce to diagnose problems and perform various dental procedures. I have students come to the o� ce, where I demonstrate the use of the equipment.”
Dr. Leong also shares his knowledge on an international level. In 1992, he had a chance to participate with his church on a mission trip to Nicaragua. He went to spread his faith and provide free dental care to those in need. In the years since, the mission trips have developed into an annual medical/dental contribution.
“I started with missions and that expanded to teaching in the dental schools, but it’s still missionary work because we take care of all of these people that really need a great deal of dental work.”
Whether he’s helping patients far from home or in his Melbourne o� ce, Dr. Leong says it’s wonderful to witness the e� ect of his e� orts.
“� e ultimate goal for me is to care for people. � at’s what I do. It is so rewarding to take what I know and help others and to teach others to do the same.”
A Whole LookComprehensive treatment plan restores aesthetically pleasing, functional smile
As a doctor, Magaly
lauds the professional
work of Dr. Leong
meet so that we have a goal of where to put all the new teeth. � en, we can talk about how we’re going to replace the missing teeth.”
Step by StepTo determine where the upper and lower jaws should meet, Dr. Leong studied pho-tographs, x-rays and a CT scan of Louis’ jaw and ran several computerized tests to help create a temporary, plastic denture that included wax teeth.
“� e teeth are in wax, so we can move them,” Dr. Leong informs. “� at’s how we set up the bite to see if the patient can toler-ate it the way it should be and likes the way it looks and feels. We do that using special instruments called articulators.
“With the articulators, we can simulate the bite. It allows me to show the patient how the new teeth will feel in the mouth. � rough that, we determine whether the jaw joints and the muscles associated with the jaw joints can tolerate the new bite.
“� e reason we do that is because over the years, the jaw joints and muscles have become used to a di� erent position. All we’re doing is moving the bite back to where it used to be, but we need to make sure it can handle being there.
“It’s a big step and after we took that step with Louis, he was no longer hitting his upper teeth with his lower teeth and biting into his gums. We could see right away that he was pleased because he said, Wow, this is like hav-ing new teeth. I’m going to like this.”
Once Dr. Leong determined exactly what physical changes needed to be made to correct Louis’ bite, the next step was to dis-cuss with Louis how best to replace the teeth that were missing so that he could properly execute the plan.
Louis went into the process thinking he would replace his teeth with partial dentures, but he eventually settled on implant-secured bridges in the areas where he was missing mul-tiple teeth, and implants capped with crowns in the areas where he was missing single teeth.
Implants are screw-like posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone to serve as the foundation for replacement teeth such as crowns or dentures. When secured by implants, dentures don’t slip or move; they stay in place when patients speak and eat.
In making his decision to go with implants, Louis agreed to become the patient in a teaching video for Dr. Leong, who is also an adjunct professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, where he teaches the dental
aspect of biomedical engineering.Louis’ reward included being � t with three
dental implants – one in the upper left, where he was missing a couple of teeth and needed a bridge, and two in the lower right, where he was also missing several teeth and needed a bridge.
Because he still had existing teeth strong enough to support the implant-secured bridge in the upper left, Dr. Leong placed
an implant there and � t the bridge on the same day. � e other bridge required a wait for the implant to fuse to the jawbone.
“It takes up to six months for implants to become secure in the jaw, so we usually can’t � t a patient with a bridge right away,” Dr. Leong notes. “But if there are adjacent teeth that can support the implant and make it steady, we can � t the bridge right away.
“In Louis’ case, he was able to use that bridge on the upper left right away because it was going to be supported by the teeth adja-cent to the bridge. He did, however, need to wait a few months before we could � t the bridge on the lower right side.”
� at wait was predicated on the fact that Louis had no adjacent teeth to sup-port a bridge in that area. � e time Louis spent waiting for the bridge was not wasted, because Dr. Leong used that time to repair all of Louis’ remaining damaged teeth.
By the time the restoration project was completed, Louis had received two implant-supported bridges and had more than a dozen other teeth repaired and crowned. � e result was a smile and comfort level Louis had previously only dreamed of.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way everything has turned out,” Louis enthuses. “I don’t have any more pain in my teeth or gums when I eat, and my new teeth all look beautiful. Now, I just go for regular cleanings and checkups.”
Doctor Approved Magaly Villafradez-Diaz decided a few years ago to wait until after she gave birth to replace a fractured second upper molar. Pregnant women are advised to avoid elec-tive procedures and surgeries when pregnant.
“I have no idea how it happened, but there were fractures in the root of that molar, so they had to take the tooth out,” Magaly explains. “� e next step was to get a dental implant to replace the tooth, but I was preg-nant at the time, so I decided to wait.”
And wait she did. A rheumatologist then working in Dothan, Alabama, Magaly waited nearly three years before she inquired about the possibility of replacing that missing molar, in part because the gap was not in her smile line.
“It’s one of the last teeth, and because you can’t see it, you think it’s not a problem,” Magaly relates. “Being in the medical � eld, I know you have a speci� c number of teeth for a reason, so I knew I needed to have it checked out sooner rather than later.
“I started looking for a dentist as soon as we relocated to Florida. My husband found a dentist in our area whom he was really impressed with. He found him to be very professional, thoughtful and thorough, and he really liked that he took the time to listen to him. I decided to go see for myself how good this dentist is and see what his plan and recommendations would be.”
The dentist Magaly went to see is Dr. Leong. Upon � rst examining Magaly, Dr. Leong found several issues that needed to be addressed.
A Diffi cult Spot“When Magaly � rst came to me, she had some periodontal problems and she needed a crown, but the main reason she came to me was to have that missing molar replaced using a dental implant,” Dr. Leong informs.
Dental implants are screw-like bodies that are surgically placed into the jawbone. � e implant supports an abutment, which screws onto the implant, and a crown that is cemented on top of the abutment.
Implant surgery is considered routine, but Magaly’s case was a complicated one, the complications stemming largely from the fact that she waited so long to have the tooth replaced.
“When a tooth is missing for a long period of time, there is no reason for the jaw bone to stay there anymore, so that part of the jawbone just shrinks away, naturally,” Dr. Leong educates. “� at was part of the problem. � e other problem was the loca-tion of the missing tooth.
“� is tooth was in the back upper left. � ere was very little bone left between the roof of the mouth and the sinus, which meant I would need to lift up the � oor of
the sinus and add, or graft in, more bone in order to place the implant.
“She had even more complications than that because she also had a vertical shelf of bone that was right in the sinus where I needed to place the implant. � at made it almost impossible for me to place an implant there.
“� e good news is that I specialize in di� cult cases. � at’s why people come to me. I also do a lot of teaching, including teaching the placement of dental implants, and my residents refer a lot of di� cult cases to me, so this was typical of what I see.”
After learning of the difficulties Dr. Leong faced in treating her, Magaly agreed to go ahead with the implant surgery. � at surgery began with Dr. Leong removing the vertical shelf of bone that was blocking the area where the implant needed to be placed.
Once Dr. Leong completed that task, his next step was to create a support system for the implant. He accomplished that by mixing a blood derivative called platelet-rich � brin with synthetic bone grafting material that grows over time into supportive bone structure.
“To obtain the platelet-rich � brin, blood is taken from the patient’s arm and put in a centrifuge that forms a product that contains concentrated growth factors,” Dr. Leong describes. “It is then mixed with the bone graft material to expedite new bone growth.”
It typically takes about six months for new bone to grow strong enough to support an implant. � e addition of the platelet-rich � brin speeds up that process and allows for the implant to be seated at the same time the bone graft is done.
“By adding the platelet-rich � brin, we actually save about six months of time because we can place the implant at the same time,” Dr. Leong explains. “� en, over the course of the next six months, the new bone grows and matures faster around the implant.”
Fast-Track ItDr. Leong completed the � rst phase of the implant procedure, which included capping the implant with a healing abutment, during a single visit one day last March. He � nished the project in September after � rst testing the strength of the newly developed bone.
“We have instruments now that can mea-sure the maturity of the bone that’s surrounding the implant,” Dr. Leong says. “� e instruments work on the principles of magnetism and actu-ally measure the density of the bone and the solidity of the bone around the implant.
“With this and other newer tech-niques, I can sometimes accelerate the procedure and put the new tooth in about two months after placing the implant. I couldn’t do that in this case because she had absolutely no bone left, but I have done it before.”
Considering all the work that had to be done and the complicated nature of her case, Magaly says she was elated to have com-pleted the process in just six months. And she lauds Dr. Leong for what she describes as exceptional work.
“Certainly, there were a lot of compli-cations. But in the end, everything went very well,” she says. “And the new tooth is working great. It feels fantastic, like a real tooth, very functional and secure, the way it should be.
“Overall, I am very, very happy with the surgery and with Dr. Leong. He was extremely receptive and professional. I de� nitely recommend him because the treat-ment I received was excellent, just what you want when you’re a patient.” FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by Nerissa Johnson. nj.
NEWPage 6 | Brevard Health Care News | Spring 2019 Implant and CosmetIC dentIstry
New York City native Louis Rodriguez finished his career as a laundry man-ager in style. After serving two hospitals in that capac-
ity, he spent his last 18 years in the industry running the laundry service at the famous Fontainebleau® Hotel on Miami Beach.
“It’s a special place,” the 75-year-old Palm Bay resident says of the Fontainebleau. “I especially like the beach there. It’s beautiful.”
For years, Louis wished he could have said the same about his smile. Unfortunately, the loss of several back teeth and some extensive wear on many of his remaining teeth left Louis with a smile he was not eager to show o� .
Those same issues were also causing Louis a lot of pain. When he ate, for exam-ple, his upper front teeth would become very sore. He was also experiencing a lot of pain in the gums behind his upper front teeth.
It was that pain that recently sent Louis in search of a dentist who could help
him with the problem. � e search ended one day late last year while Louis was wait-ing to be seen for a checkup by his primary care physician.
“I was in the waiting room reading a newspaper, Florida Health Care News, and I saw this article about a dentist that was nearby,” Louis recounts. “I knew I had to do something about this problem I was having, so I decided to go see him.”
� e dentist Louis read about is Richard Leong, Jr., DDS, a general and implant dentist who practices comprehensive, full-treatment dentistry, including full
mouth reconstructions. Upon � rst examin-ing Louis, Dr. Leong immediately discovered the cause of his discomfort.
“It was a bite problem,” Dr. Leong reveals. “Because he was missing a lot of back teeth, when he bit down, his upper front teeth were coming down over his lower front teeth, and that was causing a scissoring-like action on the gums behind his front teeth. � at had caused his jaw and some remaining teeth to shift, which resulted in some bone loss in the jaw area where teeth were missing.
“That’s why he was experiencing so much pain with his gums and his teeth. He came in thinking there was something wrong with his teeth and that he needed them taken out, but I told him that wasn’t necessary, that what we needed to do was � x his bite.”
Pleased to hear that he didn’t need to have his front teeth removed, Louis agreed to have Dr. Leong correct his bite. � at work began with Dr. Leong doing a comprehen-sive evaluation of Louis’ mouth, after which Dr. Leong came up with a treatment plan.
The treatment plan was extensive. It included some standard dental work to � ll several cavities and periodontal treatments to correct some advanced gum disease. When that work was completed, Dr. Leong began the di� cult task of correcting Louis’ bite.
“� e jaw bone is meant to have roots in it, and when those roots are there, they stimulate bone growth,” Dr. Leong educates. “When there are no roots, the opposite hap-pens, and the jaw bone slowly shrinks away.
“� at was part of the problem Louis was having, so I told him, We � rst have to deter-mine where the upper and lower jaws should
Richard Leong, Jr., DDS, is a general and implant dentist practicing com-prehensive dentistry. He is one of the few dentists in the area who place special emphasis on treatment of dental implants and temporomandibular joint dysfunctions, lasers, CT scans and Invisalign® orthodontics. A pioneer in the � eld of dental implantology, he has been performing dental implant surgeries since 1975. Dr. Leong graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his dental degree from the Un iversity of Tennessee School of Dentistry in Memphis. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, a Master in the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics, a Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantology and a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. His professional memberships include
the American Dental Association, the Florida Dental Association, the Brevard County Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the International Congress of Oral Implantology, the American College of Oral Implantology, the American Academy of Implants and Transplants, the International College of Cranio-Mandibular Orthopedics, the American Society of Osseointegration and the International Institute for Christian Studies. In addition, Dr. Leong is co-chairman of the implantology division at Atlantic Coast Research Center in West Palm Beach, FL, where he teaches dental implantology. He lectures nationally and internationally on the subjects of dental implants, temporomandibular dysfunction treatments, neuromuscular occlusion, practice management, lasers in dentistry and CT 3-D scans in general dentistry.
For more information, visit Dr. Leong’s website at www.richardleongdds.com
FOR ALL YOUR DENTAL NEEDSDr. Leong and his staff invite you to call or visit their office
and discover that high-quality technical expertise can coexist within a warm, casual, welcoming environment.
Dr. Leong’s office is located in Melbourne at:
400 South Babcock Street
(321) 723-7255
• Function and feel like natural teeth, allowing you to eat and speak comfortably
• Can be restored to look like natural teeth, so you can smile with con� dence
• Maintain the bone structures of the jaws and face, preventing the premature aging process often associated with tooth and bone loss
• Firmly and securely support dental work, eliminating the need for bulky, plastic dentures, or adhesives
• Help prevent decay in the jawbone
• Dental implants will usually last a lifetime
Why Choose Dental Implants:
The result of Louis’ dental
restoration was a dream smile
A Dentist and a Teacher
With more than four decades of dental experience, Dr. Leong began teach-
ing implantology in 1982. He recently became an adjunct professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, where he teaches the dental aspect of biomed-ical engineering.
In addition, Dr. Leong also teaches dental implantology at � e Atlantic Dental Research Clinic in West Palm Beach, where he lectures and oversees surgical procedures performed by practicing dentists who are learning about dental implants.
Dr. Leong was recently given an award for 30 years of teaching there. His career is one de� ned by his passion for learning as well as his thirst for knowledge, which he enjoys passing on to his dental students.
“At this point in my career, I really enjoy helping people in di� erent ways, either through teaching dentistry or working directly with patients. I love giving something back. � ere’s always something new to learn and incorporate into your practice. Technology is ever-evolving, and we keep up with it here in the o� ce.
“I maintain advanced equipment in my o� ce to diagnose problems and perform various dental procedures. I have students come to the o� ce, where I demonstrate the use of the equipment.”
Dr. Leong also shares his knowledge on an international level. In 1992, he had a chance to participate with his church on a mission trip to Nicaragua. He went to spread his faith and provide free dental care to those in need. In the years since, the mission trips have developed into an annual medical/dental contribution.
“I started with missions and that expanded to teaching in the dental schools, but it’s still missionary work because we take care of all of these people that really need a great deal of dental work.”
Whether he’s helping patients far from home or in his Melbourne o� ce, Dr. Leong says it’s wonderful to witness the e� ect of his e� orts.
“� e ultimate goal for me is to care for people. � at’s what I do. It is so rewarding to take what I know and help others and to teach others to do the same.”
A Whole LookComprehensive treatment plan restores aesthetically pleasing, functional smile
As a doctor, Magaly
lauds the professional
work of Dr. Leong
meet so that we have a goal of where to put all the new teeth. � en, we can talk about how we’re going to replace the missing teeth.”
Step by StepTo determine where the upper and lower jaws should meet, Dr. Leong studied pho-tographs, x-rays and a CT scan of Louis’ jaw and ran several computerized tests to help create a temporary, plastic denture that included wax teeth.
“� e teeth are in wax, so we can move them,” Dr. Leong informs. “� at’s how we set up the bite to see if the patient can toler-ate it the way it should be and likes the way it looks and feels. We do that using special instruments called articulators.
“With the articulators, we can simulate the bite. It allows me to show the patient how the new teeth will feel in the mouth. � rough that, we determine whether the jaw joints and the muscles associated with the jaw joints can tolerate the new bite.
“� e reason we do that is because over the years, the jaw joints and muscles have become used to a di� erent position. All we’re doing is moving the bite back to where it used to be, but we need to make sure it can handle being there.
“It’s a big step and after we took that step with Louis, he was no longer hitting his upper teeth with his lower teeth and biting into his gums. We could see right away that he was pleased because he said, Wow, this is like hav-ing new teeth. I’m going to like this.”
Once Dr. Leong determined exactly what physical changes needed to be made to correct Louis’ bite, the next step was to dis-cuss with Louis how best to replace the teeth that were missing so that he could properly execute the plan.
Louis went into the process thinking he would replace his teeth with partial dentures, but he eventually settled on implant-secured bridges in the areas where he was missing mul-tiple teeth, and implants capped with crowns in the areas where he was missing single teeth.
Implants are screw-like posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone to serve as the foundation for replacement teeth such as crowns or dentures. When secured by implants, dentures don’t slip or move; they stay in place when patients speak and eat.
In making his decision to go with implants, Louis agreed to become the patient in a teaching video for Dr. Leong, who is also an adjunct professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, where he teaches the dental
aspect of biomedical engineering.Louis’ reward included being � t with three
dental implants – one in the upper left, where he was missing a couple of teeth and needed a bridge, and two in the lower right, where he was also missing several teeth and needed a bridge.
Because he still had existing teeth strong enough to support the implant-secured bridge in the upper left, Dr. Leong placed
an implant there and � t the bridge on the same day. � e other bridge required a wait for the implant to fuse to the jawbone.
“It takes up to six months for implants to become secure in the jaw, so we usually can’t � t a patient with a bridge right away,” Dr. Leong notes. “But if there are adjacent teeth that can support the implant and make it steady, we can � t the bridge right away.
“In Louis’ case, he was able to use that bridge on the upper left right away because it was going to be supported by the teeth adja-cent to the bridge. He did, however, need to wait a few months before we could � t the bridge on the lower right side.”
� at wait was predicated on the fact that Louis had no adjacent teeth to sup-port a bridge in that area. � e time Louis spent waiting for the bridge was not wasted, because Dr. Leong used that time to repair all of Louis’ remaining damaged teeth.
By the time the restoration project was completed, Louis had received two implant-supported bridges and had more than a dozen other teeth repaired and crowned. � e result was a smile and comfort level Louis had previously only dreamed of.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way everything has turned out,” Louis enthuses. “I don’t have any more pain in my teeth or gums when I eat, and my new teeth all look beautiful. Now, I just go for regular cleanings and checkups.”
Doctor Approved Magaly Villafradez-Diaz decided a few years ago to wait until after she gave birth to replace a fractured second upper molar. Pregnant women are advised to avoid elec-tive procedures and surgeries when pregnant.
“I have no idea how it happened, but there were fractures in the root of that molar, so they had to take the tooth out,” Magaly explains. “� e next step was to get a dental implant to replace the tooth, but I was preg-nant at the time, so I decided to wait.”
And wait she did. A rheumatologist then working in Dothan, Alabama, Magaly waited nearly three years before she inquired about the possibility of replacing that missing molar, in part because the gap was not in her smile line.
“It’s one of the last teeth, and because you can’t see it, you think it’s not a problem,” Magaly relates. “Being in the medical � eld, I know you have a speci� c number of teeth for a reason, so I knew I needed to have it checked out sooner rather than later.
“I started looking for a dentist as soon as we relocated to Florida. My husband found a dentist in our area whom he was really impressed with. He found him to be very professional, thoughtful and thorough, and he really liked that he took the time to listen to him. I decided to go see for myself how good this dentist is and see what his plan and recommendations would be.”
The dentist Magaly went to see is Dr. Leong. Upon � rst examining Magaly, Dr. Leong found several issues that needed to be addressed.
A Diffi cult Spot“When Magaly � rst came to me, she had some periodontal problems and she needed a crown, but the main reason she came to me was to have that missing molar replaced using a dental implant,” Dr. Leong informs.
Dental implants are screw-like bodies that are surgically placed into the jawbone. � e implant supports an abutment, which screws onto the implant, and a crown that is cemented on top of the abutment.
Implant surgery is considered routine, but Magaly’s case was a complicated one, the complications stemming largely from the fact that she waited so long to have the tooth replaced.
“When a tooth is missing for a long period of time, there is no reason for the jaw bone to stay there anymore, so that part of the jawbone just shrinks away, naturally,” Dr. Leong educates. “� at was part of the problem. � e other problem was the loca-tion of the missing tooth.
“� is tooth was in the back upper left. � ere was very little bone left between the roof of the mouth and the sinus, which meant I would need to lift up the � oor of
the sinus and add, or graft in, more bone in order to place the implant.
“She had even more complications than that because she also had a vertical shelf of bone that was right in the sinus where I needed to place the implant. � at made it almost impossible for me to place an implant there.
“� e good news is that I specialize in di� cult cases. � at’s why people come to me. I also do a lot of teaching, including teaching the placement of dental implants, and my residents refer a lot of di� cult cases to me, so this was typical of what I see.”
After learning of the difficulties Dr. Leong faced in treating her, Magaly agreed to go ahead with the implant surgery. � at surgery began with Dr. Leong removing the vertical shelf of bone that was blocking the area where the implant needed to be placed.
Once Dr. Leong completed that task, his next step was to create a support system for the implant. He accomplished that by mixing a blood derivative called platelet-rich � brin with synthetic bone grafting material that grows over time into supportive bone structure.
“To obtain the platelet-rich � brin, blood is taken from the patient’s arm and put in a centrifuge that forms a product that contains concentrated growth factors,” Dr. Leong describes. “It is then mixed with the bone graft material to expedite new bone growth.”
It typically takes about six months for new bone to grow strong enough to support an implant. � e addition of the platelet-rich � brin speeds up that process and allows for the implant to be seated at the same time the bone graft is done.
“By adding the platelet-rich � brin, we actually save about six months of time because we can place the implant at the same time,” Dr. Leong explains. “� en, over the course of the next six months, the new bone grows and matures faster around the implant.”
Fast-Track ItDr. Leong completed the � rst phase of the implant procedure, which included capping the implant with a healing abutment, during a single visit one day last March. He � nished the project in September after � rst testing the strength of the newly developed bone.
“We have instruments now that can mea-sure the maturity of the bone that’s surrounding the implant,” Dr. Leong says. “� e instruments work on the principles of magnetism and actu-ally measure the density of the bone and the solidity of the bone around the implant.
“With this and other newer tech-niques, I can sometimes accelerate the procedure and put the new tooth in about two months after placing the implant. I couldn’t do that in this case because she had absolutely no bone left, but I have done it before.”
Considering all the work that had to be done and the complicated nature of her case, Magaly says she was elated to have com-pleted the process in just six months. And she lauds Dr. Leong for what she describes as exceptional work.
“Certainly, there were a lot of compli-cations. But in the end, everything went very well,” she says. “And the new tooth is working great. It feels fantastic, like a real tooth, very functional and secure, the way it should be.
“Overall, I am very, very happy with the surgery and with Dr. Leong. He was extremely receptive and professional. I de� nitely recommend him because the treat-ment I received was excellent, just what you want when you’re a patient.” FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by Nerissa Johnson. nj.
NEW Spring 2019 | Brevard Health Care News | Page 7Implant and CosmetIC dentIstry
On Your Toes“O ne of the most com-mon foot ailments that I see walk though my door are bunions,”
explains board-certified podiatricsurgeon Robert P. Dunne, DPM. A bunion is an unnatural, bony hump that forms at the base of the big toe where it attaches to the foot. Often, the big toe deviates toward the other toes.
“Sometimes, this particular foot deformity is genetic; other times, it can be related to an injury to the foot or a congenital issue [a deformity present at birth],” explains Dr. Dunne. “Arthritis can play a role, along with improperly � tting shoes and high heels.”
Bunion Symptoms � ere are several symptoms to look for when diagnosing bunions.
“A bulging bump could be evident at the base of the big toe,” describes Dr. Dunne. “� ere may also be some swelling, redness and soreness in the area of the big toe’s joint. Other signs include a thickening of the skin at the base of the big toe, limitation in move-ment, pain that comes and goes, and corns and calluses developing.”
According to Dr. Dunne, people are intimidated by treatment for bun-ions because they have heard negative stories regarding surgical correction. “Our patients come � rst, and we recom-mend they take action now if they have a problem. Surgery is not the only option. Alternate treatments are available.”
Lake Washington Foot & Ankle is a comprehensive podiatric medicine clinic, o� ering treatment for everything from ankle sprains to hammertoes.
“We treat ingrown toenails, warts, dermatitis, ankle and heel pain, tendon-itis and neuromas,” assures Dr. Dunne. “We also do clinical trials for onychomy-cosis [fungal toenails], as well as studies on diabetic ulcers, in an e� ort to � nd better and more e� ective treatments for these and other ailments.”Article courtesy of Lake Washington Foot & Ankle. nj
LAKE WASHINGTON FOOT & ANKLEROBERT P. DUNNE, DPM, FACFAS, P.A.
Robert P. Dunne, DPM, FACFAS, i s a b o a rd -certified podiatric sur-geon and a Fellow of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons. After receiving his degree from
Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, he completed a podiatric surgi-cal residency followed by a preceptorship at Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Dunne participates in ongoing research, includ-ing double-blinded studies for pharmaceutical trials.
Melbourne2717 N. Wickham Rd., #4
Palm Bay1091 Port Malabar Road, Suite 3
(321) 253-6191
Do You Have Foot Pain?Dr. Dunne welcomes the
opportunity to answer your questions about plantar warts and other foot health issues. To schedule an appointment,
please call or visit one of his two o� ces:
Those shoes may match the out� t, but are they good for your feet?
When to See a Doctor?“More often than not, a patient will put o� treatment until surgical correction is the only option,” says Dr. Dunne. Here are some of the signs that you should be aware of:
• Di� culty with movement of the big toe• A bump at the side of your big toe• Issues with shoes � tting properly• Big toe pain that is constant or
intermittent• � e formation of corns or calluses• Redness in the area at the bottom of
the big toeOnce you make an appointment
with your doctor, it is helpful to know what questions to ask, including “What is the cause of my foot pain, and is this a long-term or short-term problem?” � is is another question to ask: “Is surgery right for me, or is there a conservative
treatment that will help?” � ese are useful questions to help you make decisions about your care.
“Occasionally, a bunion formation left untreated can cause additional ailments to arise,” warns Dr. Dunne. “� ese can include bursitis, hammertoe formations and metatarsal-gia, which is pain and in� ammation in the ball of the foot.”
Treatment Options“For a bunion, our typical treatment regimen will be determined by the severity of the deformity, along with the individual needs of the patient,” explains Dr. Dunne.
“Again, surgery is not always the only treatment option a patient has. Treatment should be tailored to the patient’s needs.”
Some conservative treatments include:
• � e application of ice• Orthotics (over-the-counter or
custom-molded)• Medications to reduce in� ammation• Padding and splinting of the area• Changes to better-fitting or more
appropriate shoes Rehabilitation time varies per
patient and type of surgical procedure. As always, the patient’s individual needs come first, and treatment should reflect those needs.
Hibiscus Court off ers luxurious senior living, including assisted living and memory care. For more information or to schedule a tour, call or visit Hibiscus Court in Melbourne at:
540 East Hibiscus Blvd.
(321) 345-9830
Enjoy Retirement
Living
Visit them at HibiscusCourtMelbourne.com and Facebook.com/HibiscusCourtMelbourneAssistedLiving
Brevard Community Health Care Coalition Steering Committee members are from left:
Julie Scott, Heidi Kuchenbacker, Bridget Brown.
Vial of LIFEAssisted living community joins coalition seeking better health care transitionsT he last thing anyone who has
visited a hospital for medical care wants to do is return to the hospital soon after their
discharge for further care. Far too often, though, that is exactly what happens.
Across Florida last year, four out of ten people who visited an emergency room returned to the hospital within a week of their visit, according to statistics for Medicare bene� ciaries compiled by the Health Services Advisory Group.
“� at’s a big number, and that’s just from hospitals,” says Heidi Kuchenbacker, executive director at Hibiscus Court of Melbourne Assisted Living and Memory Care Community. “� at’s a scary number.”
So scary that Heidi has joined the Brevard Community Health Care Coalition, whose aim is to greatly reduce hospital readmissions in Brevard County, where 2,822 of the 16,046 patients admit-ted to the hospital last year returned within 30 days and two out of � ve people were readmitted within the � rst week.
“Most of those readmissions were seniors,” Heidi explains. “� e coalition’s mission is to improve the coordination of health care during transitions between health care settings and the home.”
To achieve its goal, the coalition is working to expand Brevard’s Vial of LIFE program. LIFE is an acronym
that stands for Lifesaving Information For Emergencies and refers to a pro-gram adopted several years ago by Brevard County Fire Rescue to help seniors coordinate vital medical infor-mation that can be located easily during emergency situations.
“Let’s say, for example, someone has fainted at home and 911 has been called,” Heidi describes. “� e paramedics arrive, and the person is taken to the hospital, but they don’t have a list of current medica-tions or a loved one has forgot-ten it.
“Now, the hospital does the best it can. It � xes the imme-diate problem and sends the patient home with follow-up ins t ruct ions . But f a r too o f ten , those i n s t r u c t i o n s get lost or they don’t make sense to the patient or the patient doesn’t read them.
“� at breakdown in communication is one of the big reasons readmissions are so high. What Vial of LIFE does is give seniors a chance to record all their
pertinent medical information and store it in a place where it can easily be found.”
The vial itself is a small, plastic container that has inside of it a form that includes a detailed list of its own-er’s medical conditions, medications and emergency contacts. The vial also has two green stickers the size of a quarter on the outside.
“One of the stickers goes on the door of the person’s house or apartment,” Heidi
says. “� at lets a paramedic know that this person has a Vial of LIFE. � e other sticker goes on the refrigerator door because that’s where the Vial of LIFE is stored.
“It’s actu-ally stored in t h e f r e e z e r. � at’s where the Brevard County Fi r e Re s c u e members have been trained to
� nd it, and when they do, they can get the information they need or information they can pass on to the doctor, so the per-son can be treated properly.”
Heidi says the key factor for success is getting the information sheet within
the vial � lled out. Many seniors � nd it hard to write, others may not under-stand the need for vital information and some lack the ability to follow through and complete the form themselves. � e coalition’s goal is to utilize the vast num-ber of coalition professionals to assist seniors to complete and store potentially life-saving information.
Beginning in April, members of the coalition will be hosting events through-out the county and handing out vials and aiding seniors in completing the form that goes inside the vial.
� e events will be held at the Palm Bay Senior Center in Palm Bay on April 23 from 10 am to 12 pm; the Wickham Park Senior Center in Melbourne on April 4 and 9 from 10am to 12 pm; and at the Martin Andersen Senior Center in Rockledge on April 26 from 9 am to 2 pm. For more information, call Heidi at (321) 951-1050.FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Nerissa Johnson. mkb
Page 8 | Brevard Health Care News | Spring 2019 podIatry
assIsted lIvInG FaCIlIty 9039
Visit them online at www.encompasshealth.com/treasurecoastrehab
Choose WiselyAsk the right questions when
seeking rehabilitation
S nowbird Beth*, 89, spent the entirety of her 35-year work-ing career serving the federal court system as a stenogra-pher, dutifully transcribing
trial proceedings in shorthand.� ere were no stenotype machines
back in her day, so the work made Beth tough, but that toughness was challenged late last year when she became ill during her annual visit to Florida.
“In October, there was an incident with Mom’s health I didn’t understand and neither did her doctor,” describes Beth’s daughter Stella. “She was being observed in the hospital, but ended up just lying in bed too long. I thought she needed to have therapy, so I asked the hos-pital sta� to transfer her to Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital.
“When Mom came home from Encompass Health, she was � ne. But about two months later, she didn’t feel well again. I called an ambulance, and she went back to the hospital. They discovered she needed gallbladder sur-gery, so she had surgery and then went back to Encompass Health for postsur-gical rehabilitation. � at all happened around Christmas.”
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of the Treasure Coast is an acute-level rehabilitation hospital located in Vero Beach. It’s the only facility in the area that o� ers that level of care.
As a hospital, Encompass Health provides daily visits by two physicians and round-the-clock certified regis-tered nursing care. Patients also work with experienced therapists who guide them toward their goals and prepare them for returning home.
“I thought Encompass Health was the best facility for my mother,” Stella relates. “They provided three hours of physical therapy per day, not just an hour and a half like so many other centers. I didn’t want her just lying in bed. � at’s not what she’s going to rehabilitation for.
“During her three hours of physical therapy, Mom did a lot of walking and arm exercises. As part of her occupational therapy, she did picture matching and other fun activities, which she enjoyed. � e therapists did a good job of keeping her therapy interesting and entertaining.
“� ey use a lot of di� erent pieces of equipment when treating patients, depend-ing on their ability level and what’s wrong with them. It was very interesting to watch all the patients in di� erent modes of ther-apy with the equipment, not just Mom.”
Choice ChecklistWhen people need rehabilitation and are faced with a choice of where to go, it’s important they become informed consumers and understand the world of rehabilitation, stresses Dawn Bucaj, RN, BSN, senior rehab liaison at Encompass Health. Sometimes, consumers must fight for their right to choose the facility they desire.
“People want to make sure they’re given adequate choices that meet their speci� c needs when it comes to their rehabilitation decisions,” Dawn observes. “� e question becomes, How do patients make intelligent choices once they’re given a list of facilities at the hospital? � at’s generally what happens, then patients select a facility from the list.
“I’ve compiled some questions people and families can use to make informed decisions and choose facilities that work best for them.”
The first such question is whether the patient will be seen by a physician and if so, how often. Because patients leave acute-care hospitals very quickly, it’s important they are seen by a physi-cian during rehab. At Encompass Health, patients are seen by a combination of primary care and rehab physicians six to seven times per week.
“� e next question that needs to be asked is, Does the facility have all the nec-essary members of the rehab team on site?” Dawn states. “In addition to physicians, team members may include a speech-language therapist, physical and occu-pational therapists, a dietician, certi� ed rehab nurses, a respiratory therapist and a case manager. We have all these team members on sta� at Encompass Health.
“Also, ask about the number of hours of therapy provided to patients.
As an acute rehab hospital, Encompass Health is required to provide at least three hours of therapy per day.”
Further, it’s important to inquire about the facility’s percentage of patients who return to acute-care hospitals.
“Skilled nursing facilities have a dis-charge rate back to acute care of nearly twenty-� ve percent, while the rate for rehabilitation hospitals averages ten percent,” Dawn discloses. “� is is a re� ec-tion of the hospitals’ ability to maintain a higher level of care for their patients. Maintaining a low discharge rate to acute-care hospitals is an extremely important objective for Encompass Health.
“Another thing to explore is whether the facility has nurses on sta� who are certi� ed in rehabilitation. Also, ask about the technology they have available to deal with physical disabilities. Is it state-of-the-art? Encompass Health has rehab-certi� ed nurses and the most advanced technology for rehabilitation.
“Gathering all this information will increase people’s knowledge and help them make the best possible decision for themselves or their loved ones.”
After weighing the answers to these questions, people seeking rehabilitation can make an informed choice of a facility for their care, Dawn points out. She also notes it’s important for patients and fami-lies to ask for Encompass Health by name.
Wonderfully MotivatedStella describes her mother, Beth, as an out-to-dinner socialite who loves to play with her cat. She relied on Encompass Health to return her mom to health fol-lowing surgery and get her back to doing her favorite activities.
“When we went to Encompass Health the second time, the entire sta� met us in Mom’s room,” Stella recalls. “� ey said they saw my mother’s name on the dietary department list, so they knew we were coming back.
“As soon as I walked into Mom’s room, everybody was standing there greet-ing us. � ey all knew us, so it was just like family, with everybody gathered in Mom’s room to visit.
“The Encompass Health staff is absolutely wonderful. I can’t say enough about what they did for my mother. � ey did everything they could to keep
Mom motivated and moving forward during her rehabilitation.
“The staff was wonderful to my mother and me both times we were there. I admire everyone at Encompass Health for their professionalism and work ethic.”
Dawn’s checklist can be used to gather information to make an informed deci-sion on a rehabilitation facility. Stella had her own reasons for choosing Encompass Health for her mother’s rehabilitation.
“I chose Encompass Health because it’s the cleanest facility and the employees have the best attitude,” she enthuses. “And we get really good care there, especially when it comes to Mom’s therapy. � e ther-apy room is nice and big, and patients get a lot of attention. I feel more comfortable with my mom at Encompass Health.”
Stella says her mom, an Ohio native, is not particularly active. She prefers watching golf on TV over playing it her-self. But after Beth’s stay at Encompass Health, she felt up to par.
“Mom doesn’t play sports or golf,” Stella con� rms, “but she watches all the golf tournaments every week and cheers for her favorites, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods or whoever’s on at the time.
“My mother was at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of the Treasure Coast for ten days. She was dis-charged shortly after New Year’s. And since I brought her home, she’s been hold-ing her own. She has a good life.” FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa Johnson.
Header stock photo from Pixabay. Sign graphic courtesy of
Encompass. mkb
*Names withheld at their request.
A Higher Level of Comprehensive Rehabilitation
ServicesEncompass Treasure Coast
Rehabilitation Hospital takes patient self-referrals and referrals by patient families or advocates. They welcome
readers to tour the hospital seven days a week, no appointment required! Contact the hospital
in Vero Beach for an in-home nursing evaluation.
1600 37th St.(772) 563-4070
We know how important it is to ask smart questions to help you or your loved one
make the right decision for rehabilitation. Questions such as:
• Will a physician see me daily?• What technologies are used in therapy?• Are nurses certi� ed in rehabilitation?• Am I guaranteed at least 15 hours of therapy
per week?
Smart questions lead to smart decisions. Call (772) 563-4070 for more information.
You make decisions every day. Are you making the right ones?
Spring 2019 | Brevard Health Care News | Page 9rehabIlItatIon
Gregory Hoang, MD, is board certi� ed in medical oncology and hematology. He received his medical degree from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa. He completed his residency at the University of South Florida A� liated Hospitals and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at USF A� liated Hospitals and H. Lee Mo� tt Cancer Center in Tampa.
V. Pavan Kancharla, MD, is board certi� ed in medical oncology and hematology, and internal medicine. He received his medical degree from NDMVP Sarnaj’s Medical College in India. He completed a residency and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.
To learn more, visit them online at www.CancerCareBrevard.com
A Better Way to Fight CancerGREGORY HOANG, MD
V. PAVAN KANCHARLA, MD
New center promises comprehensive cancer careLiving
The physicians and sta� at Cancer Care Centers of Brevard believe in working together to � ght cancer. They provide leading-edge cancer care, from diagnosis through treatment into recovery. To make an appointment, contact them at one of their regional locations:
Melbourne/Pine S. Pine St.
(321) 952-0898Melbourne/Eau Gallie
W. Eau Gallie Blvd., Suite (321) 854-4776
Melbourne/Wickham N. Wickham Road
(321) 752-4811Merritt Island
Cone Road(321) 453-7440
Palm Bay San Filippo Dr. SE
(321) 725-8300Rockledge
Harvin Way(321) 636-2111
Sebastian US Highway
(772) 589-1995
I n 2010, sharp pain began ripping through Amie Lawton’s lower left abdomen. � e pain shot through to her back, so her doctor blamed
it on an existing back condition and pre-scribed pain medication. It didn’t help.
“My doctor ordered a CT scan and found a tumor,” recalls the mother of � ve. “� e surgeon went in and removed it, and it was cancer. � e surgeon also removed a big section of my colon. � e cancer was a huge shock because I was only in my early thirties. � at’s when my doctor brought in Dr. Hoang.”
Gregory Hoang, MD, is a board-certi� ed medical oncologist at the Palm Bay location of Cancer Care Centers of Brevard. He specializes in treating can-cer patients using medications such as chemotherapy, which is what he initially treated Amie’s cancer with.
“The chemotherapy got rid of the cancer, but it came back as a tumor on a lymph node in the center of my abdomen,” Amie explains. “Dr. Hoang suggested I participate in a clinical trial of a new chemotherapy drug, so I did. It worked. � e tumor slowly shrank.”
“Amie received combined modali-ties for her colorectal cancer, including
radiation and chemotherapy,” Dr. Hoang reports. “After she completed our treat-ment, we sent her to a tertiary center for surgery to remove the cancer. She had chemotherapy after surgery as well. We continue to see her now for follow-up CT scans and blood tests.”
Easter Miracle� e original Palm Bay location of Cancer Care Centers of Brevard opened in 2012, providing chemotherapy services to the area. Now, Palm Bay has a new center o� ering a more complete range of services.
“We opened the new cen-ter, in part, due to changes in the chemotherapy environment,” explains V. Pavan Kancharla, MD, board-certi� ed medical oncolo-gist and internist at Cancer Care Centers of Brevard. “Today, we need spe-cialized areas for mixing chemotherapy because of the hazards involved in the
mixing process.“At our new Palm Bay facility, we
have a closed system called USP-800 that we use for mixing chemotherapy. This system is used to mix chemother-apy for our other locations as well.”
Another reason for opening the new location is to create a comprehensive cen-ter in Palm Bay.
“There were no radiation ser-vices at the old Palm Bay facility,” Dr. Kancharla notes. “But we have plans to build a radiation center at our new location.
We hope to have that completed within the next two years.”
Once Amie’s tumor shrank, it was removed by surgery on Easter week-
end 2014. � e combined procedures were curative.
“� is year marks � ve years I’m cancer free,” Amie raves. “Now, I just have routine scans every so often to make sure it doesn’t come back. So far, everything’s
been � ne.“Now, I’m doing great. I’m here
and cancer free!”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Nerissa
Johnson. mkb
Allergic to Eats?Food allergies and how to deal with them
I f it seems as if everyone you know su� ers from an allergy of one kind or another, it’s probably because it’s true. More than 50 million
Americans su� er from allergies? Most, of course, su� er from the kind of allergies that lead to a runny nose and watery eyes at certain times of the year, but imagine having symptoms even worse than that every time you put food in your mouth.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that’s the case for four to six percent of the chil-dren and four percent of the adults in this country. � e latest research also shows the number of children under 5 diagnosed with peanut allergy has increased by 100 percent.
Substances that trigger an allergic reaction are called allergens. Pretty much any food can be an allergen, but there are a few that are the biggest offenders. These eight types of food account for about 90 percent of all allergic reactions: Eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, � sh, shell� sh, wheat and soy.
Good News, Bad News� ere’s good news and not-so-good news when it comes to these allergens. Allergies to milk, eggs, wheat and soy may disappear over time, but allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, � sh and shell� sh tend to hang on for life. Also, you can develop an allergy to a food you’ve never been allergic to before.
So, what causes food allergies? � ese allergies are an overreaction by the body’s immune system to proteins in certain foods that it detects as foreign and attacks. � e immune system reacts by triggering its white blood cells to produce food-spe-ci� c immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to neutralize the allergens.
When the allergic person eats the o� ending food, the IgE antibodies detect it and signal the immune system’s mast cells to release a chemical called hista-mine. Histamine is responsible for the symptoms of food allergies, just like it leads to the runny nose and itchy, watery
eyes of respiratory allergies.
Some of the symptoms associated with food allergies are uncomfortable but not serious. � ese include a rash on the skin, tingling or itching in the mouth, lightheadedness, nausea, diarrhea, stom-ach cramps and coughing.
Other symptoms can be very seri-ous, even life threatening. � ese include panting and wheezing; a swelling of the throat that makes it di� cult to breath; blue lips from lack of oxygen; a drop in blood pressure and heart rate; diz-ziness; fainting and unconsciousness. � ese are some of the symptoms of a whole-body allergic reaction called ana-phylaxis, which is potentially deadly if not treated right away.
It’s a no-brainer that the best way to dodge food allergy symptoms is to avoid the trigger foods altogether. But even if you’re careful, you may be exposed unknowingly. � e best way to prepare for any potential reaction is to have an allergy action plan, created with help from your doctor.
Educate YourselfEducation is an important
part of your plan. Due to the prevalence of food allergies in this country, manufactures are
required to label their products indicating if they contain any
amount of the most common aller-gens. So learn to read labels, and don’t
forget the � avorings and additives. � ey might contain trace amounts of the o� ending allergens.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask your server or the chef about the ingredients in your meals when you go out to eat. Remember, you can have a reaction even if the cooking surface or pans used to make the food have come into contact with an allergen. So, be aware and ask about how your food is being prepared.
When a person is diagnosed with a food allergy, the doctor generally pre-scribes an auto-injector of epinephrine to be used if symptoms of anaphylaxis occur. If they do, the person, or some-one close to him or her, should inject the epinephrine into the outer thigh as soon as the symptoms appear. � en, the person needs to go immediately to an emergency room for follow-up care.
If your child has a food allergy, be sure his or her teachers and other close adults are aware and know what to do in case of a reaction. � ey should understand how to use the epinephrine auto-injector and to get the child to the ER right away.
Everyone eats. Unfortunately, it can be a risky experience for some people. You can help by being patient with people who have food allergies and learning what to do if someone close to you has a seri-ous reaction such as anaphylaxis. Sharing what you learn is the best way to help!FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. mkb
Page 10 | Brevard Health Care News | Spring 2019 onColoGy
speCIal to FhCn
Solutions for male sexual dysfunction
S exual health is a hard topic to broach, but a third of all men could probably speak about it from experience.
Far more common than many realize, erectile dysfunction (ED) will derail the sex
lives of more than half of all men at some point in their lifetime and currently stands as the sexual problem most often reported by men to their doctors.
It is a problem that occurs progressively as men age but is even more common in men su� ering from hypertension and peripheral vascular and cardiovascular disease, in men who smoke or used to smoke and as a result of prescription or illicit drugs.
Many di� erent causes may underlie the diagnosis of ED. Among the most common are vascular disease, hormonal imbalances and prostate cancer. In many men, several factors may be at play and all must be addressed for best results.
Unfortunately, most men have a hard time talking about this problem and frequently su� er in silence or at most discuss it with their primary care physician. But most primary care physicians do not have the time and the state-of-the art “know how” to fully evaluate and treat the patient to achieve optimal results. As a result, most men are given a prescription for pills such as Viagra® without so much as a discussion or explanation of how to take the pill correctly.
Jeremy*, 56, was treated in just such a fashion after he explained to his general practitioner last spring that he was having di� culty achieving and maintaining an erection. � e pills the doctor prescribed had little or no e� ect.
After trying the pills for nearly six months, Jeremy sought help from a men’s sexual health specialist he found during an internet search. � at specialist is Boris Havkin, MD, a board-certi� ed urologist, founder of Havkin Urology, which has its o� ce in Melbourne.
“I see this a lot,” Dr. Havkin reports. “Patients treated indiscriminately without truly investigating their underlying causes, which can be vascular dysfunction or a hormonal de� ciency such a low testosterone, etcetera, thus failing to respond.
“� at’s what happened with Jeremy, whom I exam-ined thoroughly and found to be su� ering from penile arterial insu� ciency, speci� cally a disease of the blood vessels of the penis.”
Jeremy was not alone. Dr. Havkin says the primary cause of erectile dysfunction – the one that a� ects 80 to 90 percent of all su� erers – is vascular disease. � e second most common cause is a hormone imbalance such as low testosterone or excessive estrogen levels. In a fair number of patients, both if not more factors can be the culprit.
In response to his � ndings, Dr. Havkin tailored a treatment to address Jeremy’s vascular disease. � e treat-ment he chose is called GAINSWave® therapy, which is regenerative in nature.
Dr. Havkin, who is a certified provider of GAINSWave therapy, emphasizes that although many treatments may be e� ective, only few reverse the under-lying cause as opposed to covering up the cause like a BAND-AID®, as is the case with pills.
GAINSWave is a nonsurgical, drug-free treatment that uses pulses of low-intensity acoustic waves to repair damaged blood vessels while also stimulating the growth of new blood vessels.
Referred to clinically as low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy, or LiESWT, the GAINSWave pro-cedure uses acoustic waves to break up the plaque and calcium that have built up inside old or damaged blood vessels, while stimulating production of growth factors and stem cells thus leading to repair of the vessels.
The result is an increase in blood flow, which improves the quality of the erection and sensitivity of the penis.
GAINSWave treatments can also be used to treat Peyronie’s disease, which is what occurs when scar tissue builds up in the penis and causes an abnormal bend of the penis as well as pain with erection.
Each noninvasive GAINSWave treatment lasts about 30 minutes, is performed in the doctor’s o� ce and is completely painless. � is technology has been used in Europe and Israel without any detrimental side e� ects for 15 years, indicating complete safety. Patients typically receive treatments either once a week or twice a week for six to 12 weeks.
Reversing the Root Cause “As a fully trained men’s sexual health specialist and uro-logic surgeon, I am prepared to administer any and all available treatments for erectile dysfunction, from oral medications to vacuum pump therapy to teaching the patients how to do penile injections and even perform-ing corrective surgery, including all forms of implants,” Dr. Havkin explains.
“However, I am especially excited to be able to o� er treatment options that can result in a reversal of the underlying factors leading to the problem. � at’s what GAINSWave does.
“Treatments such as pills and injections will help a large number of patients achieve erections when neces-sary, but they don’t reverse the underlying root cause and stop the progression of that cause.
“� at’s why a large number of patients who initially respond to oral medications, for example, will eventually stop responding, because the underlying cause has not been treated and reversed.
“GAINSWave will not only reverse those causes but will optimize the patient’s penile health. And it does this without producing any known side e� ects and without causing the patient any downtime following the procedure.”
GAINSWave is not the only tool available in the quest for regenerating sexual health. Advanced techniques such as the Priapus Shot® (P-Shot), injections of amniotic � uid and even stem cell therapy are also highly e� ective.
“Based on research,” Dr. Havkin says, “it was proved that by combining GAINSWave therapy with the Priapus Shot – an injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) derived from the patient’s own blood – further sexual improve-ment can be realized.
“� e combination of these therapies improves not only erectile function, but sexual performance, sensitivity and the quality of the orgasm,” Dr. Havkin notes. “All of that leads to a far more satisfactory sexual experience.”
Dr. Havkin, who is a certi� ed provider of the P-Shot, can also deliver that therapy as a stand-alone treatment, and in particularly di� cult cases, he can utilize treat-ments that include stem cells.
“Each patient is treated as an individual, with their treatments tailored to their speci� c needs,” Dr. Havkin says. “For example, with patients who are su� ering from a hor-monal imbalance, we can administer hormonal replacement therapy that will further improve patient’s responses.
“Hormone replacement therapy is where the patient is given hormones that are biochemically identical to the ones they produce in their body but no longer produce in su� cient quantities.
“� is kind of therapy requires thorough testing and careful adjustments and monitoring, and can be delivered through advanced methods, such as testosterone pellets.”
Jeremy began receiving GAINSWave treatments in December. Within a month, he noted definitive improvement and was able to achieve and maintain an erection without pills.
“I was getting nowhere with the pills, which is why I sought out Dr. Havkin in the � rst place,” Jeremy says. “I � gured there had to be something out there that would take care of this problem, and GAINSWave was my solution.
“It’s an easy, painless treatment that you have done right there in the doctor’s o� ce, and I love the fact that there’s no side e� ects or downtime associated with it. It’s made me feel like a new man, which is why I recommend not only GAINSWave, but Dr. Havkin.
“He’s no ordinary doctor. He’s truly a specialist in this � eld and is very thorough. He takes every step nec-essary to learn exactly what’s behind the problem and then he o� ers you a solution that works. I recommend him to anybody.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Graphic courtesy of GAINSWave. mkb
* Patient’s name withheld at his request
Visit them on the web at HavkinUrology.com
State-of-the-Art CareDr. Havkin and his team want their patients to feel safe, heard, comfortable and at home when they visit Havkin Urology. Dr. Havkin provides total urological care and explores each patient’s entire history to diagnose and correct any and all urological issues. To learn more about how Dr. Havkin can help you, call or visit his offi ce in Melbourne at:
3021 West Eau Gallie Blvd.Suite 103
(321) 500-4545
BORIS HAVKIN, MD
Boris Havkin, MD, is a board-certi� ed urologist and proud recipient of the annual Patient Choice Award (2008-present) and Compassionate Doctor Award (2010-present). He earned his Bachelor’s degree and graduated summa cum laude from Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, New York in 1994 and received his medical degree from State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine in 1998. He completed his internship in general surgery at the SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, New York in 1999 and completed his residency in general surgery at the same school in 2000. He later completed a residency in urology at SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, New York in 2004 and serves as an assistant clinical professor at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Havkin is an active contrib-uting member of the North American and International Sexual Medicine Society.
Spring 2019 | Brevard Health Care News | Page 11men’s health/UroloGy
Robert Spivey
For further information, please visit earcare.net
Karen Cowan-Oberbeck, AuD, FAAA, CCC-A, completed her undergraduate work at the University of South Florida, Tampa. She earned her Master of Arts degree from the University of Central Florida, Orlando, and her Doctor of Audiology degree from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, a fellow of the Florida Academy of Audiology, a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and of the Florida Speech-Language-Hearing Association and holds current Florida teaching certi� cates in hearing-impaired K-12.
Glenn A. Oberbeck, BC-HIS, is a licensed hearing instrument specialist. His specialty areas include personal communication assistance, cerumen management, audio-metrics and assistive listening devices. He is a member of the International Hearing Society, Florida Society of Hearing Health Professionals, Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Robert was � tted with a hearing instrument that accommodated
his work needs.
Hearing Is BelievingNew technology augments hearing, enriches lifestyle
A series of ear infections su� ered during infancy left Robert Spivey totally deaf in his right ear and nearly deaf in his left
ear, and for 47 years, Robert believed all the people who told him hearing aids would never restore his hearing.
� en came a day � ve years ago when a change in work assignments all but forced Robert to � nd out once and for all if those claims were true.
“Up until then, I had always overcome the obstacles associated with my hearing loss mostly through improvisation and ingenu-ity,” Robert explains. “I learned to read lips extremely well and had conditioned people to always walk on my left side.
“� en this change at work came. I’m a registered nurse and paramedic, and after fourteen years of working with a medevac unit in helicopter transport, I was going to be transitioning into a procedural area of the hospital where everyone wears a mask.
“ T h a t was obviously going to take away my abil-ity to read lips, so I needed to do something to help my hearing. Also, as my two kids had gotten older, I had grown tired of having to say What? to them all the time.
“It just so happens that there’s an audiologist in the same o� ce complex where my wife works, so I made an appointment to go there.”
� e change of jobs includes a return to the skies and the medical center’s heli-copter transport unit, where Robert’s passion lies. The change in hearing instruments was due to the changes in technology that have been made since Robert last � ew with that unit.
The crew members of the helicopter transport unit now com-municate primarily through an intercom system in their helmets. Wearing that helmet would have caused Robert’s old hearing aid to either fall o� or break, so he recently sought out Glenn for an upgrade.
“By becoming a flight nurse again, Robert was going back to a very unique work environment, and we had to take that into consideration when re-fitting him so that he could function and communicate properly with con� dence,” Glenn explains.
“After sitting down and strategizing over what the best solution for him would be, we decided to go with an Invisible-In-the-Canal [IIC] device made by Oticon that � ts super deep in the ear canal. It’s called the Oticon OPN 3 IIC.
“� is device actually � ts all the way down into the bony region of the ear canal. � at way, there’s no chance of it getting in the way or getting knocked o� the ear. It’s very secure and has a low pro-� le. It is perfect for Robert.”
Technological AdvancesBecause it is designed to � t deep in the ear canal, the Oticon OPN 3 IIC has to be custom molded to � t the wearer’s ear. To do that, Glenn made a cast mold of Robert’s ear canal. From that mold, the device Robert wears today was made.
“It’s a digital wireless device that can be put in and taken out daily, which is important because Robert is in a work environment where he sweats a lot, and you want the ear canal to dry out each day,” Glenn adds. “You don’t want something in there all day, every day.
“Even though it sits deep in the canal, this device can be inserted into the ear and removed very easily and quickly. One of
the great advantages is that the feedback cancellation is outstanding, meaning there is no squealing. � e quality of sound he gets from the hearing aid is excellent.”
Robert concurs. His new device includes an upgraded microprocessor that allows him to set levels more pre-cisely than his previous instrument. He says that upgrade has proved to be very helpful both in and out of his new work environment.
“It’s not as though my old hearing aid was out of date or anything, but the change from that one to this one is so great in terms of the technology that it’s provided me with a huge boost in terms of how I process sounds in my head,” Robert says.
“I’m hearing things now that I literally never heard before. My kids, for example. I’ve always heard them, but when they were younger, I never really heard their voices the way I do now. To be able to suddenly hear your kids is amazing.
“Sometimes, I’ll just go and sit out on the porch and listen. It’s incredible how signi� cantly Glenn and the folks at EarCare have changed my life. And this is twice now in � ve years that they’ve done that.
“The work they do at E a r C a r e , it changes lives. It really, real ly does change lives, and I would recommend them to any-one. � ey’re really great people, and they do incredible work.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Top right patient photo by
Nerissa Johnson. Ear graphics from Pixabay. Patient flight suit
and helicopter photo courtesy of Robert Spivey. Oticon photo
courtesy of Earcare. mkb
Robert went to see Dr. Karen Cowan-Oberbeck, a board-certified doctor of audiology, and co-owner Glenn A. Oberbeck, a board-certi� ed hearing aid specialist at EarCare, which has locations in Melbourne, Merritt Island and Indian Harbour Beach.
Robert’s expe-r i e n c e a t E a r C a r e proved to be a life-changing ear-opener.
“ I w e n t t h r o u g h a series of diag-nos t i c t e s t s that showed just how sig-n i f i cant my
hearing loss was, and then hearing aid specialist Glenn Oberbeck told me, I have something that can help you with that,” Robert says. “It turns out a hear-ing aid could help me because when they put it in, it was like � ipping a switch on from night to day.
“All of a sudden, I was hearing sounds I ’d never heard before. I remem-ber hearing my wife’s voice, and it almost brought me to tears. Suddenly, everything in my world was di� erent. My entire envi-ronment changed that day.”
T h e h e a r -ing a id Rober t received fit behind his left ear and helped him excel in his new posi-tion as the trauma program manager at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medica l Center in Melbourne . Recently, another job change prompted a change of hearing instruments.
Age is a good time to establish a hearing baseline. If you answer “yes” to three or more of these questions, it may be time to have your hearing evaluated by an audiologist.
• Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?
• Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high?
• Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?
• Do you have to strain to understand conversation?
• Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background?
• Do you fi nd yourself asking people to repeat themselves?
• Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)?
• Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?
• Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?
When Should Your Hearing
Be Evaluated?
For Expert Hearing Care
please contact EarCare at the following locations:
Melbourne7777 N. Wickham Rd., Ste. 21
Merritt Island250 North Courtenay Pkwy., Ste. 102
Indian Harbour Beach1875D S. Patrick Dr.
(321) 216-2997
KAREN COWAN-OBERBECK, AUD, FAAA, CCC-A
GLENN A. OBERBECK, BC-HIS
Page 12 | Brevard Health Care News | Spring 2019 aUdIoloGy and hearInG aIds
