Reaching New Heights
With the recent addition of Dr. Maria Kabouridou, Briglia Dental Group starts a new chapter in its 40-year history of delivering high-quality, compassionate, and impactful care.
Ron Briglia, D.M.D, takes pride in finding new ways to improve the patient experience at his practice, Briglia Dental Group, a feature of the West Chester community for nearly 40 years.
Briglia Dental Group provides family dentistry for all ages, with safety, comfort, and convenience at the forefront. In addition to standard preventative dental care, the practice’s long list of services includes implant-supported dentures, endodontics, smile makeovers, and teeth whitening. The practice strives to make care affordable for all patients by offering phased treatment, multiple payment options, and adjusted fees for seniors.
One of the cornerstones of the practice for over two decades has been Dr. Briglia’s use of oral and IV sedation and has helped hundreds of fearful or phobic patients.
“A phobic patient may put off necessary dental treatment for years because they’re absolutely petrified,” he says. “We use a very strong, topical anesthetic that is like three topicals in one, when you put that gel on the gums, within three minutes it causes profound numbing of the tissue; the patient doesn’t feel anything.”
For fearful patients who require a significant amount of dental work, Dr. Briglia can offer IV sedation, which allows patients to undergo treatment with little or no memory of the appointment. Dr. Briglia stays on top of the most cutting-edge techniques in dentistry as a member of multiple professional organizations, including the American Society for the Advancement of Anesthesia and Sedation in Dentistry and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Briglia’s continuing studies augment the knowledge he has as an alumnus of the Temple University School of Dentistry.
Dr. Briglia goes out of his way to make even the youngest patients feel welcome. His team carefully guides children through each step of their appointments, making the experience a happy one by letting them select an item from the prize box.
Dr. Briglia is constantly striving to better serve his patients. One recent example of Dr. Briglia’s commitment to forward progress is the addition of Maria Kabouridou, D.M.D. A skilled and experienced clinician, Dr. Kabouridou has advanced training and proficiency in everything from root canal treatments, dental implants, and bone grafts, to extractions and Invisalign orthodontics. Her skills perfectly complement Dr. Briglia’s cosmetic and restorative treatment skills and his experience in oral and IV sedation.
“Dr. Maria is wonderful with patients, and she is able to provide advanced services so they can have a lot of their dental work done in one office as opposed to being referred to multiple locations,” Dr. Briglia says. “She fits in well with our philosophy. We’re seeking patients who want a high quality of care. If the work is done correctly the first time and the patient is taking care of their teeth, quality restorations can last years and years; our treatment has lasted for 30 to 35 years for most of our patients.”
Dr. Briglia found a colleague with the same type of compassion in Dr. Kabouridou. A native of Greece who immigrated to the United States at age 11, Dr. Kabouridou chose to follow her beloved aunt into the field of dentistry. Dr. Kabouridou earned her D.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and completed a prestigious residency at Albert Einstein Hospital.
“I love working alongside Dr. Briglia—it’s a great collaboration,” she says. “We’re growing together and learning from each other. Some dentists just care about making a dollar, but in our practice we always have patients’ best interests in mind. We’re pretty much integrating all disciplines, including sleep medicine, medically complex patients, and so on. You name it, we can do it.”
Sleep medicine represents a new and exciting aspect of Briglia Dental Group. Dr. Briglia says sleep apnea—a potentially lethal disorder that disrupts breathing while asleep—can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, and more. This lack of sound sleep can cause mood swings, cloudy thinking, accidents, and drowsiness all day long.
Sleep apnea affects millions of Americans but often goes undiagnosed. Many people have died during the night as a result of long-term undiagnosed sleep apnea. For these reasons, Briglia Dental Group now screens all of their patients for the disorder.
Those who are found to have the condition can be provided an innovative device that is more comfortable than the traditional method of treatment, continuous positive airway pressure therapy (“CPAP”). Although effective, many patients cannot tolerate CPAP. For certain patients with severe sleep apnea, a CPAP is the treatment of choice.
“A CPAP is the device you put over your nose and mouth, and it helps you breathe at night, but a lot of patients hate it,” Dr. Briglia says. “We use an oral appliance that holds the jaw forward and open to keep the tongue and soft tissue off the throat, no matter where you turn while you’re sleeping. I’ve used a sleep apnea device myself for over 20 years, so I can relate to those patients.”
Both Drs. Briglia and Kabouridou remain committed to their patients while also finding quality time for their own families and interests. Dr. Briglia, a father of two adult children, plays the saxophone and loves music, running, and skiing. Dr. Kabouridou is a mother of two boys who enjoys fishing, antiquing, traveling to her native Greece, and teaching her children about their culture.
Of course, the doctors also share a devotion to improving people’s lives through dentistry.
“I recently saw a patient who just finished her lower veneers after we did her top veneers about a year and a half ago,” Dr. Briglia says. “She had dreamed about having a beautiful smile since she was a little girl, but wasn’t able to complete her dental work until now. When we were finished and she saw herself in the mirror, she started crying. She was just thrilled.”
Dr. Kabouridou has similar stories. While she enjoys the clinical aspects of her work, she loves bonding with patients and their families.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better career,” she says. “I say this to everybody, including my patients: My job is like a hobby to me, and I haven’t worked a day in my life. When I meet a patient with complex dental needs, I visualize the steps I have to take to restore their smile. I get a lot of satisfaction, personally and spiritually, from my job, and I don’t think I’ll ever retire.”
To learn more about Briglia Dental Group or book an appointment, visit www.brigliadentalgroup.com, and browse the practice’s more than 240 five-star Google reviews.
To learn more about Briglia Dental Group or book an appointment, visit www.brigliadentalgroup.com, and browse the practice’s more than 240 five-star Google reviews.
Photo by Jody Robinson
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, January 2023.
