2010 November Archive - Dr. Mitchell A. Josephs' Blog

Archive for November, 2010

Picasso of Porcelain for $2,000 a Tooth

Posted on: November 24th, 2010 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Question: My husband promised me for Christmas a set of 10 upper veneers. I have found fees ranging from $1,400 to $2,500 per tooth. Why the large range? – D.S. in Jupiter

Answer: The Haute Couture dress department at Sacks sells $100,000 dresses. As Borat once said: “Wowie wowie, this is not like our Marshalls in Kazakhstan!” Veneers are thin facings of porcelain that are permanently affixed to the front side of your teeth. The large range of fees are based on the artistry of the doctor and his years of experience. However, only a few offices in the world have the opportunity to work with the top dental lab ceramist, Jason J. Kim of Manhattan. I have been to some of his lectures, and he truly is the Picasso of porcelain. If you are extremely picky and only want the best; “he-da-man” at $2K per tooth.

Editor’s note: Dr. Mitchell Josephs will be giving a free lecture on Implant, Cosmetic and General Dentistry and signing his latest book on the island of Palm Beach on Friday, Dec. 3, 11 a.m. to noon. Call (561) 832-2917 for registration and info. Seating is limited.

By Dr. Mitchell Josephs

Veneers at $2500

Posted on: November 17th, 2010 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: My husband promised me for Christmas a set of 10 upper veneers. I have found fees ranging from $1400 to $2500 per tooth. Why the large range?…D.S. in Jupiter

A: The Haute Couture dress department at Sacks sells $100,000 dresses. As Borat once said: “Wowie wowie, this is not like our Marshals in Kazikstan!” Veneers are thin facings of porcelain that are permanently affixed to the front side of your teeth. The large range of fees are based on the artistry of the doctor and his years of experience. However, only a few offices in the world have the opportunity to work with the top dental lab ceramist, Jason J. Kim of Manhattan. I have been to some of his lectures and he truly is the Picasso of porcelain. If you are extremely picky and only want the best; “he-da-man” at $2k per tooth.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Mitchell Josephs will be giving a free lecture on Implant, Cosmetic and General Dentistry and signing his latest book on the Island of Palm Beach on Friday December 3^rd, 11am to 12. Call 561-832-2917 for registration and info. Seating is limited. Dr. Josephs practices Cosmetic, Implant and General Dentistry in Palm Beach and can be reached at drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com (888-378-6684) or visit www.palmbeachdentist.com

‘Floating’ tooth OK with two implants

Posted on: November 10th, 2010 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: I have gotten two completely different opinions from two dentists . I am missing my upper right four back molars and refuse to where a removable denture. I do not have enough bone for an implant way in the back. One dentist said I can have two implants towards the front of the space with three crowns attached; the last one being a floating, cantilevered tooth connected to the other two. The other dentist said this is doomed to fail due to having a floating tooth without the support of a third implant underneath. What should I do?…Irwin in West Palm Beach

A: Irwin, you made me miss my favorite show tonight, “Chasing Classic Cars”! After a thorough literature review; I must tell you to go ahead with dentist #1. Historically cantilevered bridges on NATURAL teeth have a poor long term prognosis; HOWEVER, these same bridges anchored to two IMPLANTS have shown positive results equal to bridges supported with three implants, without a “floating” tooth. For a free consumer guide to implants, contact us.

Dr. Josephs practices Cosmetic, Implant and General Dentistry in Palm Beach and can be reached at drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com (888-378-6684) or visit www.palmbeachdentist.com

'Floating' tooth OK with two implants

Posted on: November 10th, 2010 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Dr. Josephs practices Cosmetic, Implant and General Dentistry in Palm Beach and can be reached at drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com (888-378-6684) or visit www.palmbeachdentist.com

Crusty dentures could be serious issue

Posted on: November 3rd, 2010 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: My mother is in a hospital recovering from hip surgery. The last time I visited her, I noticed a soft crusty material developing around her dentures. Should I be concerned?…Doris in Boynton

A: If you are not just describing typical hospital food, then we do have a problem here. A leading cause of death in older people is aspiration pneumonia, often from inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures. Foreign material is breathed into the lungs and airway, causing dangerous (even fatal) inflammation and infection. You also want to stop bacteria from entering the blood stream and infecting your hip joint prosthesis. Dentures need to be removed daily from the mouth, cleaned with a brush, soap and water. I recommend a quick rinse with bleach followed by copious rinsing. If calcium-like deposits are not coming off, have your dentist use an ultrasonic scaler to remove them.

Dr. Josephs practices Cosmetic, Implant and General Dentistry in Palm Beach and can be reached at drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com (888-378-6684) or visit www.palmbeachdentist.com