2012 February Archive - Dr. Mitchell A. Josephs' Blog

Archive for February, 2012

Onlays: A More Conservative Treatment than Crowns

Posted on: February 28th, 2012 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: I need some crowns, but I hate the idea of having my tooth drilled down to a stump and capped. What else can be done? Mortimer in Wellington

A: The good news in dentistry is that there are often more choices in restoring a tooth than a Vegas buffet. The bad news is that it confuses the public like sending a man to buy laundry detergent at the supermarket. Too many choices!

Very often, rather than drill away the whole outside of a tooth to fit a crown (cap) over the tooth, we can remove only the weak parts of the tooth; the decay and old filling materials and then take an impression (digitally scanned, “goop-free” impression are great for these). The lab will then construct a conservative all-ceramic, metal-free “onlay” to be chemically adhered to the tooth at the final visit. For free consumer info on onlays, contact us.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Mitchell Josephs will be giving a FREE LECTURE on Incision-Free Dental Implant Surgery, Digital Crowns & Veneers and Choosing a Dental Office, at the Downtown West Palm Beach Library, on Thursday March 8^th at 6:30 pm. Attendees will receive a FREE copy of his book: “Tooth Talk”. Seating is limited. Call 561-868-7701 to register.

Dr. Mitchell Josephs practices Cosmetic, Implant and General Dentistry in Palm Beach and hosts the “Tooth Talk” radio on WBZT AM1230. (www.radiotoothtalk.com) Dr. Josephs is a Faculty Advisory Board member at McGill University’s Faculty of Dentistry.

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drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com
44 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480
888-DRTOOTH (888-378-6684)
www.palmbeachdentist.com

Avoiding Bone Grafts and Sinus Lifts Before Implants

Posted on: February 21st, 2012 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: I am missing my bottom back teeth and was told I need complicated jaw surgery and bone grafting even before the implants are placed. Is there another means to avoid this costly and aggressive procedure? Carol in Boynton

A: I would need to see digital images of your bone to properly answer this, but many times the above can be avoided by the old stand-by: The K.I.S.S rule. Keep It Simple Stupid. (Or in my neighborhood growing up, Keep It Simple Shlomo.)

“When insufficient bone exists, osseous grafting and ridge expansion are surgical options, but have serious morbidities (non-fatal complications or failures of the procedure), according to a recent article by Dennis Flanagan DDS in the Journal of Oral Implantology. A technique using a very short 6.5×5 mm implant may be placed at steep angle to successfully support permanent bridge/crown work, allowing you to “K.I.S.S.” your dentures goodbye! For free consumer info on this, contact us or attend our seminar.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Mitchell Josephs will be giving a FREE LECTURE on Incision-Free Dental Implant Surgery, Digital Crowns & Veneers and Choosing a Dental Office, at the Ross Jewish Community Center on Jog Road in Boynton Beach on Wednesday February 22^nd at 10:00 am. Attendees will receive a FREE copy of his book: “Tooth Talk”. Seating is limited. Call “Shawn” at 561-259-3016 to register.

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drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com
44 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480
888-DRTOOTH (888-378-6684)
www.palmbeachdentist.com

Implants to Secure Loose Dentures- How many?

Posted on: February 14th, 2012 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: My dentist wants to place four implants to hold my dentures in place. To save money, why can’t I have just two like other friends of mine had? Sol in Lake Worth.

A: Trust me on this one. It’s not because your dentist needs to recoup his losses from betting on the Patriots. It is always recommended to place at least four implants to create adequate retention to secure full dentures. IF (and this is a big “IF”), you have an adequate amount of bone to accept the implant.

Four allows a back up: If one implant should be rejected, you still have three left to serve as a source of good retention. Another benefit to four is that if they are placed far enough apart on the upper jaw, the thick, bulky palate of an upper denture can be cut out, allowing you to have the luxury of feeling the roof of your mouth again with your tongue. The surface of the palate actually helps in taste sensation. The February 2012 Consumer Report showed 91% of patients had no pain or problems with implants. For a free consumer guide on Implant Overdentures, contact us or attend our next seminar.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Mitchell Josephs will be giving a FREE LECTURE on Incision-Free Dental Implant Surgery, Digital Crowns & Veneers and Choosing a Dental Office, at the Ross Jewish Community Center on Jog Road in Boynton Beach on Wednesday February 22^nd at 10:00 am. Attendees will receive a FREE copy of his book: “Tooth Talk”. Seating is limited. Call “Shawn” at 561-259-3016 to register.

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drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com
44 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480
888-DRTOOTH (888-378-6684)
www.palmbeachdentist.com

Implant Crown to Match Veneers

Posted on: February 7th, 2012 by Dr. Mitchell Josephs No Comments

Q: I am about to get porcelain laminate veneers on my top 10 teeth, but one tooth is missing. I will need an implant, but am concerned that the crown on this tooth will not match the veneers on the adjacent teeth. Debbie D. in Lantana.

A: No worries, Ms. “Double D”. (er… I mean Ms. Debbie.) Your aesthetic scenario has challenged us tooth docs for decades. A veneer is a thin facing of porcelain that is permanently adhered to the front surface of the tooth for cosmetic purposes. Some degree of your natural tooth shining through the veneer allows for a natural looking “warmth” and translucency. To accomplish this with a tooth being replaced by a metallic, gray metal titanium implant takes some ingenuity. We are now able to select tooth colored custom implant abutment posts to anchor metal-free all-porcelain crowns to their respective implant. These tooth colored abutments act as your adjacent real teeth that have been prepared for veneers. I will be covering this topic at my next seminar.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Mitchell Josephs will be giving a FREE LECTURE on Incision-Free Dental Implant Surgery, Digital Crowns & Veneers and Choosing a Dental Office, at the Ross Jewish Community Center on Jog Road in Boynton Beach on Wednesday February 22^nd at 10:00 am. Attendees will receive a FREE copy of his book: “Tooth Talk”. Seating is limited. Call “Shawn” at 561-259-3016 to register.

Dr. Mitchell Josephs practices Cosmetic, Implant and General Dentistry in Palm Beach and hosts the “Tooth Talk” radio on WBZT AM1230. (www.radiotoothtalk.com) Dr. Mitchell Josephs is a Faculty Advisory Board member at McGill University’s Faculty of Dentistry.

____________________________________________________________

drjosephs@palmbeachdentist.com
44 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480
888-DRTOOTH (888-378-6684)
www.palmbeachdentist.com