Dr. Ronni Brown

I hate to admit this, but for years I was quick to respond to requests with the single word and the complete sentence, “No!”  I often felt puzzled and sometimes annoyed when asked to add one more thing to my already full plate of responsibilities, which I was precariously juggling as a mother, wife, dentist, and post-graduate resident! I would find myself having an internal dialogue with myself, saying, “Don’t they know how busy I already am?” or “I am …

1…2…3…4…. my pencil traced, connecting the dots, in my favorite coloring book, while anxiously waiting for the outline of a surprise image to reveal itself to me. Sometimes it was an airplane, other times a butterfly, and on a rare occasion, it was a unicorn! Although Dot to Dot puzzles is one of my favorite childhood pastimes, I realize that these educational games describe my unconventional career journey from jailhouse dentist to Senior Community Health Planner for San Mateo County. …

I’m honored to have received the UCSF Alumni Practitioner Award this year. The award represents more than personal achievement – it acknowledges the critical need for our profession to understand and compassionately treat patients affected by addiction. Paula Hermann wrote about my work for UCSF Magazine. Here’s her piece, originally published on UCSF: Ronni Brown, DDS, MPH, Resident Alum: A Visionary Transforming Care in Jails and Beyond Uncovering Links to Meth Mouth When Ronni Brown first looked into a patient’s mouth …

Make no mistake about it…I am not Oprah! But I must admit that at the beginning of every holiday season, I enjoy looking at Oprah’s list of “favorite things”- many of them whimsical, fun, and unique. I started sharing My List of Dental Favorites with you last year and it was such a hit, that I wanted to update my list, and send it to you! This list includes instruments, materials, and a few extra goodies that have simplified my …

As dentists, the quality of our work and the success of the restorations we place often comes down to the “margin”- the interface between the restoration and the tooth. The margin must be closed and sealed to prevent entry of cariogenic and periodontal pathogens, but it also needs to be well-contoured to prevent irritation and damage to the periodontium. But as dentists, is the restorative margin the only margin that defines our success or perhaps our failure? Last week, while …

Make no mistake about it…I am not Oprah! But I must admit that at the beginning of every holiday season, I enjoy looking at Oprah’s list of “favorite things”- many of them whimsical, fun, and unique. I decided to share with you My List of Dental Favorites…instruments and materials that have simplified my dental procedures. Look and even gift yourself this holiday season a more enjoyable practice of dentistry. Troll Foil This is the thinnest (4.5 microns) articulating foil on …

Being uncomfortable is just that uncomfortable, whether it is being in a room full of strangers, speaking in front of a large audience, or addressing the aspects of our patients’ lives that are impacting their oral, mental, and systemic well-being. Being uncomfortable is just that uncomfortable. Many of our patients are presenting to our offices with substance-use disorders. We see the oral manifestations, such as hyposalivation, blackened caries, and periodontal disease that confirm our suspicions but still leave us uncomfortable not …

Thank you Andrew for inviting me to return as a guest on A Tale of Two Hygienists Podcast! In this fascinating episode, Andrew and I tackle the hard conversations clinicians must have with patients with substance abuse conditions. You will learn how to create a gameplan for excellent communication in sometimes extraordinary circumstances. Listen below or visit A Tale of Two Hygienists website ≫

When wrapping up a restorative case, clinicians are looking for a nice finishing touch to the procedure and to send the patient off feeling good about the appointment. If the articulating product step gets messy or time-consuming, both the patient and the provider can start to feel stressed out and possibly end the procedure feeling dissatisfied. Noting that the product category is “not super sexy,” Dr. Brown was unsure just how much she could report about testing TrollFoil, or just …

The uncomfortable reality is this, no matter how many years you have practiced dentistry, no matter whether you are in private practice or public health setting, and no matter the race, gender, culture or socioeconomics of your patients, we all have patients with substance-use disorders. But how much do we really understand about substance-use disorders and its impact on the oral, behavioral and physical health of our patients? Read my full article “Blackened, broken, decayed teeth: Understanding and treating patients …