about our practice

Growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Dr. Russell Phillips first became interested in dentistry when a high school sports injury landed him in the dental chair and a career seed was planted. He attended college at Penn State University where he played on the varsity soccer team. His dental school was the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine where he received his DMD degree with honors. Following dental school, he spent two years in the Navy Dental Corps at Submarine Base New London and received extensive experience in oral surgery. Dr. Phillips then returned to the University of Pennsylvania for a three year specialty combined certificate program in Periodontics, Fixed Prosthodontics / Periodontal Prosthesis. This intensive program focused on using periodontal principles to prosthetically restore mouths severely damaged by gum disease. It provided specialist training in periodontal surgical procedures and complex crown and bridge techniques.

Dr. Phillips came to Washington to launch his practice but continued to teach part time at The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Dental Residency Program for 13 years as an Assistant Clinical Professor. Dr. Phillips has published several articles.

Dr. Phillips has been active in implant dentistry both surgically placing them and preparing for them to be placed with surgical bone grafting. He incorporates the newest techniques of using the cone beam dental CAT scan to fabricate a surgical guide prior to the implant placement procedure where the site of implant placement is computer planned which functions to eliminate the human error of misdirecting the placement trajectory of the implant. It is the state of the art in the technique of implant placement. He routinely uses the technique of PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin). These are blood products that are derived from a blood draw of the patients own blood and used to hasten and make less traumatic the healing process. He is a Fellow in the International College of Implantology and an active member in the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

Dr. Phillips is trained in laser dentistry and certified in performing the LANAP technique which is incision and sutureless periodontal surgery. He is a member of the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry.

Several years ago, Dr. Phillips became quite passionately interested in a new wave of thinking that views our growth and development in the light of its effect on our sleep and breathing and deals with a medical team and whole health approach in the screening for and treatment of sleep apnea. He is a Vivos certified integrated practitioner in the use of the DNA functional orthodontic appliance. Please go to the following link: Vivos Integrated Practice. Dr. Phillips frequently gives public presentations to groups of patients from his own practice and to those people outside the practice who have breathing and sleep concerns, primarily sleep apnea.

Outside the four walls of his practice, Dr. Phillips has traveled on dental missions to Haiti and Nicaragua. He has three children. He enjoys woodcarving, sailing, photography, cycling and the out-of-doors in general. He is a member of the American Dental Association, DC Dental Society, several local study clubs, the American Sleep and Breathing Academy, American Academy of Implant Dentistry, and the International College of Oral Implantologists.