Ask Dr. Josephs

The following are questions that others have asked Dr. Josephs. You may find the answer to your question(s) here as well. If you'd like to ask your own question, you can do so "live and in person" on Dr. Josephs nationally syndicated talk radio show, Radio Tooth Talk . Dr. Josephs radio show tooth talk airs every morning between 6am and 9am on WBZT AM 1230. GO TO RADIOTOOTHTALK.COM OR wbzt.COM. Go to BusinessTalkRadio.net to find your local affiliate station.

To visit the Radio Tooth Talk website - CLICK HERE. To see Dr. Josephs' answers to questions on Real Self, visit his RealSelf.com page.

Question:
Cosmetic Dentistry: Will my Teeth Look Fake?

Answer:
One of the major concerns of people who would like to consider cosmetic dentistry is whether their teeth will look false. The "chiclet" look is everyone's worst fear. Dr. Mitchell Josephs, a specialist in cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry, understands this fear and assures his patients that good cosmetic treatment does not look fake it looks natural.

"Real teeth are not just a solid color, they are slightly more yellow at the top and more transparent at the bottom, they are also slightly jagged at the bottom, not perfectly flat or smooth," explains Dr. Josephs. Dr. Josephs creates natural looking teeth utilizing porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns or implants.

"People don't realize that porcelain veneers require very little drilling." Only the front surface of the tooth is prepared and only .6 millimeters of the surface is reduced, about as much as a thin fingernail. "Most people don't even need Novocain," states Dr. Josephs, "but it's certainly available if someone wants it."

To alleviate the guesswork about the outcome of a patient's cosmetic treatment, Dr. Josephs offers computer digital imaging, where the patient can see on a TV monitor how they will look "before and after" the treatment. For more information or a consultation, call Dr. Mitchell Josephs office at (561) 832-4675. His office is conveniently located in Palm Beach at The Beach Towers, 44 Cocoanut Row. Valet parking is available.

Question:
My dentist wants to do a sinus lift, but I feel that he may not really be qualified. How difficult is the procedure? What are some of the risks? I have Asthma and allergies, but both under control. Does this present a special problem? What qualifications should a dentist have? Must the procedure be performed by an oral surgeon? What should the surgery cost?

Answer:
I recommend that an oral surgeon perform this procedure. My surgeon is Richard Kaplan of West Palm Beach, Florida. After he does the sinus lift I then do the reconstruction work (ie. the crown, bridge or prosthetic work). My surgeon, Dr. Kaplan is one of the few dual degree oral surgeons in the country, that is, he is both a DDS and an MD. We have a 100% success rate with all our implant reconstruction cases.
If you need more help, call me at 561-832-4675.

Question:
I am 38 years old and have very low maintenance teeth. Because of occasional grinding I anticipate that I will need porcelain veneers in the future. If I had this done how much more maintenance will there be?

Answer:
Our practice is exclusively porcelain veneers and cosmetic reconstructive dentistry. All of our veneer patients have their teeth cleaned at our office every 4 months, with out fail. Home care consists of brushing and flossing, as normal. We also recommend a 2% fluoride rinse daily.
Tell us how you heard about our radio program and /or web site. Also, if you would like consult or 2nd opinion about your case, give us a call. We have many out of town (Tampa) patients who we make travel arrangements for.

Question:
Is there a rating service for dentists? I am looking for my third provider, since the two previous ones, have created major problems, which will be very expensive, since they failed to detect a bone infection and used a procedure which gives me chronic pain.

Answer:
Unfortunately, there is no provider-rating list for dentists or physicians. The mistake that you are making is that you are picking from a list of doctors. This would imply that you are on an HMO or PPO, as opposed to an indemnity dental plan where you can go to any dentist your want.
My opinion is to get off of any plan that forces you to pick from a list. These tend to be high volume, low quality dental practices. You must ask friends, relatives or plastic surgeons and physicians for their recommendations. If you need some guidance in choosing, or if you want to have me take a look at you, give me a call at 561-832-4675.

Question:
It has been recommended to me, by my dentist, to have all my upper teeth extracted, 2 bone grafts and then have 9 implants. It will be done in 3 phases. I will have 2 temp bridges and one permanent over denture made (or clip on type for less money). I have been told I have short roots and bone loss probably due to having braces twice- once at 13 yrs oils and once at 30 yrs. old. I am in my mid 40's and I am a bit overwhelmed by the extent of work being proposed and the cost. I had surgical scaling of the 2 upper quadrants about 6 yrs ago and have maintained 2-3 cleanings a year along with good oral care. Please advise me what the approx. cost would be for the above-proposed work. Also, what other options do I have?

Answer:
With a case as complex as yours I need to see your x-rays and examine your mouth to give an accurate assessment. I would guess you are looking at about $25,000 +/- $5000 for the 9 implant over denture treatment plan. This includes the surgery fees and the tooth reconstruction/denture fees.
As far as other options, if even just two teeth can be saved, you can do a tooth born over denture, which will allow a denture to clip to the roots of your remaining teeth. This can run about $7000 depending on how many teeth can be saved by Periodontal Treatment and root canals.
And finally, extraction of all upper teeth followed by a full upper denture, which can rely on the suction from the roof of your mouth if you have a good arch or ridge, would run about $2000 to $3000.
I encourage you to visit our office for a consultation. Call us at 561-832-4675.

Question:
The price for Porcelain Veneers - is the price on your web site per tooth or the average cost per person?

Answer:
Veneers are $1,400 per tooth. Feel free to call me any time to discuss, at 561-832-4675.