2011 April Archive - Dr. Mitchell A. Josephs' Blog

Archive for April, 2011

Nano-Surgical Implant Treatment Placement

Posted on: April 26th, 2011 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: My sister said she had implants without any cutting of her gums. How is this possible? BH in Boca

A: I am going out on a limb here, and will assume we are talking about “dental” implants. Traditionally, titanium implants are placed by creating an incision along the gum, opening a flap, exposing the bone, boring a threaded hole into the bone and screwing in the implant. The flap is then closed with sutures, burying the implant, necessitating a second surgery to expose the top of the implant allowing the attachment of crowns, 3 to 4 months late.

More and more cases are being performed with a less invasive technique that I have named: Nano-Surgical Implant Placement. These are not “mini” implants which can have a questionable long term prognosis, but are true regular size dental implants that are placed using a technique that places the implant right through the gum and bone with no incision, no flaps, no stitches and no second surgery months later. This can result in less swelling, discomfort and duration of the procedure.

Dr. Mitchell Josephs and Dr.Anita Mandal, Facial Plastic Surgeon, will be giving a free lecture at the Jupiter Beach Resort on Wednesday, June 1^st at 5:30pm. To register, call 561-832-2917.

Dr. Mitchell 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

Replacing Resins

Posted on: April 19th, 2011 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: My dentist retired and my new dentist wants to drill out all my white fillings and replace them with amalgam (silver fillings). Speaking with my son, who lives in Washington State, his dentist wants to replace his amalgam fillings with white fillings. Is there a consensus among dentists as to which are the better material?

A: In my 23 years of practice and years on the lecture circuit, I have never known any practitioner who is replacing white fillings with amalgam (silver-mercury) fillings. This would be like replacing your cement tile roof with mud and straw. Both will do the job, but one has decades of improvements making it the better choice.

Ceramic and composite resin restorations have several benefits over amalgam. They chemically bond to existing tooth structure, preventing the need to cut away deep, dovetail-like grooves, called retention grooves, in order to mechanically lock the filling in place. This leads to an increase in the need for root canals. In addition to the obvious aesthetic advantages of resins and porcelains, they will not block the X-ray beam, as amalgam does, causing your doctor to miss areas of decay, especially on rotated and crooked teeth. For a free consumer guide on this subject, contact us.

By: Dr. Mitchell Josephs

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

Teeth Bleaching Booths

Posted on: April 12th, 2011 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: Why should I pay my dentist $700 to whiten my teeth when I could get it done at one of those teeth bleaching booths?

A: Are you not a bit skeptical having medical or dental treatment performed in a booth next to the Ginsu Knife demonstration at the Toilet and Urinal Manufacturers Association’s Convention?

Most of these booths are not manned by dentists. In Florida it is a Board of Dentistry violation to apply bleaching materials without the dentist being on the premises. These “carnival” booths try to get around it by making the customer apply the bleaching gel to there own teeth, making the claim that they are not “touching” a patient.

Before any type of dental treatment is performed, a dentists needs to examine the patients mouth and look for leaky restorations that could allow the solution to penetrate and cause severe sensitivity to the dental pulp (never bundles). He also needs to determine if you are not a candidate for this and are about to throw away some coin.

Who will follow up with you should you have any complications? Not the former Hooters girl who was operating the booth that day; she is now in St. Louis at another trade show.

By: Dr. Mitchell Josephs

For free consumer info on this teeth bleaching, contact us.

Dr. Mitchell 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

Equia

Posted on: April 5th, 2011 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: I have several white fillings in between my front teeth and where the enamel meets the gum line. I am frequently needing to replace them due to ugly brown stains around the edges, decay or they just simply fall out. Is this normal? D.F. in Albany

A: First, I recommend check your shocks and springs; you could be rattling your fillings out of your head. Nah. Adhesive dentistry has come along way since the 80’s when it truly came into vogue, along with Jordash Jeans and Capizios.

Clinicians have been able to chemically bond tooth-colored composites to existing tooth structure, sparing patients from the more extensive drilling required for the older, unsightly, amalgam (silver) fillings. New products have arrived to increase the longevity of these restorations.

Equia is a surface sealer that seals the gaps between the filling material and the adjacent enamel while releasing fluoride to prevent recurrent decay and staining. Plus, it will improve the luster on cosmetic bonding procedures on your front teeth.

For free consumer info on this, contact us.

Dr. Mitchell 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

By: Dr. Mitchell Josephs