Dentist Roswell: The Good News About Root Canals

Root Canals are virtually pain-free.  Patients used to worry about root canals, and rightfully so.  Once synonymous with serious pain, today's root canal procedures are almost pain-free.  Usually the pain associated with root canals is caused by waiting until the infection has become all too tolerable.

Root canals are needed when the dental infection, or tooth decay reaches the pulp chamber of the tooth. The infection destroys the nerves located within the root of the tooth, eventually causing the tooth to die. Years ago, the only option for this type of dental problem was a tooth extraction. Now, thanks to the progress in dental technology, often your infection can be stopped with a topical medicine applied to the tooth. And where this is not successful, the tooth can be saved with a root canal.

If you're in need of root canal therapy, you may be having trouble eating or sleeping.  A toothache or sensitivity to hot or cold is common for those with infected pulp, and you may even have swelling or tenderness in the gums.

The best course of action is not to self-diagnose and don’t procrastinate.  Only a dentist can properly diagnose the pain and provide you with the appropriate treatment.

If you are experiencing symptoms of an infection in your teeth, don't ignore them!  Our goal is to save your tooth rather than extract it, and with good reason.  Missing teeth can cause bite problems, shifting teeth and bone loss.  The vast majority of preventative treatment or root canal procedures are effective, and a successful procedure can help you keep that tooth for a long time.

If we can be of assistance or answer any of your questions, please give us a call or email us.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

www.rightsmilecenter.com

info@rightsmilecenter.com

Thank you for all your referrals.  We truly appreciate them.

Information included is not dental or medical advice.  For your specific information

 be sure to consult your dentist.

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ADA Accredited Prosthodontist is Your Cosmetic Dentist: Buckhead Atlanta

Prosthodontists are dental specialists certified in tooth restorations such as implants, bridges, crowns, dentures and veneers to give you the best smile possible, more important they provide the right smile. They are ADA accredited specialists in esthetic and cosmetic dentistry.  After graduating from dental school with a D.D.S. or equivalent degree, prosthodontists receive three additional years of rigorous specialty training in a university or hospital ADA accredited graduate education program.

If you are seeking cosmetic, implant or reconstructive dental work, you should see a prosthodontist, because prosthodontics is the only specialty recognized by the ADA that is involved with esthetic and cosmetic dental restorations and implant restorations.   None of the other specialties are taught both the form and the function of restorative dentistry.  Patients should understand that terms like ‘Cosmetic Dentist’, ‘Implantologist’ or ‘Implant Specialist’, are not designated specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.  While these terms may be very descriptive, they are also terms that attempt to get around ADA designated specialties.

Prosthodontists are experts in the dynamics and esthetics of a smile, the preservation of a healthy mouth and the science of tooth replacement.  With the passage of time prosthodontic dentists are gaining popular recognition with respect to their qualifications to offer state-of-the-art procedures and techniques as patients become more familiar with the advances in modern dentistry.  Of the 170 thousand dentists in the country less than two (2%) percent are trained prosthodontists.  So, when your dentist refers you to a prosthodontist you should know you are in well trained hands.

Many of those referring specialists think of the prosthodontist as the "conductor" of a dental treatment plan, the professional in the process with the big picture in mind.  They usually lead a team of specialists to develop ideal solutions to your dental needs because they are responsible for the final restoration.   They provide the highest level of dental care being expertly trained in many different clinical disciplines with the anticipation that a working knowledge of various disciplines is necessary to produce optimal results for the patient.

The combination of all these various disciplines rest comfortably within the purview of a prosthodontist’s training and expertise.  A comprehensive approach by a prosthodontist as the conductor is the best way to get your inner confidence boosted, your personality improved and the right smile.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us.

Dr. Scheinfeld received her prosthodontics degree from Emory University School of Dentistry in 1988.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC                                                                                                            

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

info@rightsmilecenter.com

www.rightsmilecenter.com

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Roswell Prosthodontist: Considering Dental Implants

Important Facts to Help Make Your Decision

Many people are unaware of the consequences of losing their teeth or the effects of wearing partial or full dentures upon their jaws and bones. When teeth are lost, the surrounding bone immediately begins to shrink [atrophy].  Implant treatment, for tooth replacement therapy, can be the optimal treatment plan. Here are some important facts to take into consideration.

• Wearing dentures [plates] accelerates bone loss, and old dentures become loose because of resulting bone loss. It is possible to watch and wait for bone to disappear to the point where treatment success of any kind is doubtful.

• At the end of a five-year period, only 40% are still wearing the original partial denture made for them. This is not a great testimonial to value and utility. Those lucky enough to have a functioning partial denture after 5 years are still losing valuable supporting bone.

• Of those patients who wear a partial denture, 50% chew better without it.

• One study showed that after 8 years, 40% of the supporting teeth [abutments] that the partial hooks onto were lost through tooth decay or fracture.

• Patients with natural teeth can bite with about 200 pounds of force. Denture wearers can bite with approximately 50 pounds of force. Those wearing dentures for 15 years or more can bite with only about 6 pounds of force, and their diet and eating habits have had to been modified accordingly.

• The average lower full denture shifts from side to side during chewing and is a significant problem that new denture wearers must get use to and accept.

• Denture wearers have decreased nutritional intake, a ten year shorter life span, and 30% of denture wearers can only eat soft foods.

• The single tooth implant success rate is above 98%, and unlike a bridge, the teeth adjacent to the implant are no more at risk than if no teeth were missing.

• Implant-supported bridges or dentures have 95% success rates over 10 years without the severe loss of supporting bone.

For bone maintenance, the health of adjacent teeth, the longevity of the restoration and patient comfort, implant therapy is the treatment of choice. Implants can restore chewing function to the equivalent of someone with natural teeth.

If you have questions or want to know if you are a good candidate for implant tooth replacement therapy, please call our office in Sandy Springs.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A               

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620 

www.rightsmilecenter.com

info@rightsmilecenter.com

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Dentist Buckhead: How Much Do Teeth Cleanings Cost?

So you got a mailer coupon with the offer of $49.95 for a regular cleaning & $19.95 for an exam & x-ray.  Is it a cheap gimmick?  A lot of the time it is, it just depends on the practice.  If it’s a mature practice you might want to question why they are giving away services.  Is it a loss leader used to get you in and pressure you into other dental procedures?

On the other hand, if it’s a new practice, then providing discounted services is one of the few methods a new practice has to introduce itself to the surrounding community, no different than a new restaurant trying to showcase its menu.  The genuine intent is to build a relationship by showcasing the practice.

Dental costs will vary widely, depending on where you go and the quality of the practice you see.  With respect to continuing care (on your next 6 month visit), a teeth cleaning charge is going to range somewhere around $65 to $89.[1] Often dental insurance will cover some or all of this cost for a specific number of cleanings per year.  The doctor’s exam is $45 to $55 and the 4 basic bite wing x-rays are around $59 to $72.  Depending on your insurance this might be covered anywhere from 60 to 100% after a small deductible is met.   Periodic X-rays ($32 -$135) are needed to see if any problems are developing inside the teeth or around the jaw bone, and are generally required before cleaning the teeth of a new patient (which is why some practices offer coupons to defray the initial cost of a first visit). These are also often covered by dental insurance.

The main goal of professional teeth cleaning is to prevent gum disease, which is the primary cause of tooth loss.  Dental hygiene is imperative, and cleaning your teeth is the first step toward their long term preservation.  In a standard cleaning, a dental hygienist (working under a dentist's supervision) removes soft plaque and hard tartar (mineralized plaque that builds up on the teeth and can only be removed with professional instruments) from above and below the gum line on all the teeth. The process requires one office visit and usually takes about 30 to 60 minutes.

The more extensive deep cleaning process called scaling and root planing is done by quadrants (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left) at a cost of about $100 -$400 per quadrant depending on the severity of the problem or $400 -$1,600 for the entire mouth. This is where you run into problems with couponing dentists.  But more often than not, if the mouth is in such poor health the dentist will refer the patient to a periodontist.   Most dental insurance includes these procedures.

Again, your goal is a healthy mouth which an integral part of your overall health.  Oh, and by the way, just because you had your teeth cleaned professionally, the jobs not done.  You have to do your part by brushing and flossing daily if you want to keep them.   If you have additional questions, feel free to email or call our office.  Our goal here is to create an informed healthy patient.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC                                                              

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

www.rightsmilecenter.com

info@rightsmilecenter.com

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[1] However, depending on how long it’s been since you have been to the dentist and what extent your oral healthcare has been neglected, it can be more if there’s a need to do a full mouth root scaling.

Top East Cobb Prosthodontist – Novy Scheinfeld, DDS

If you have seen the show Extreme Makeover or even heard about it - you have probably come to understand that "Cosmetic Dentistry" (or Aesthetic Dentistry) has the power to change people's lives.  The reality though, is that the term can be confusing because many "cosmetic" dentists are not trained by any program recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA).  Prosthodontics is the only discipline of cosmetic dentistry that is recognized by the ADA. And a Prosthodontist is not just trained in one simple discipline - it is a post graduate degree in dentistry where by a skilled, artistically and technically trained dentist creates an anatomically correct smile- the right smile- that is uniquely crafted to fit each person's individual attributes. Most dentists are not trained prosthodontic graduates of a dental school - rather they take short continuing education courses in conjunction with trial and error experience to be able to understand how size, shape, color and symmetry all work together to create what a prosthodontist is trained in during their post graduate work. It may appear as simple as a little contouring or as extensive as a full mouth reconstruction using veneers, crowns and implants; it’s the training that makes it appear effortless. The prosthodontist is trained to create the smile that implements the use of veneers, crowns, bridges and dental implants to ensure that the right smile is as perfect a fit both functionally and aesthetically as your individual characteristics will allow.

The program is so rigorous, that of the 170 thousand dentists in the United States, less than 2% are trained prosthodontists.  Dr. Scheinfeld received her prosthodontics degree from Emory University School of Dentistry in 1988.  Her prosthodontics’ instructor Dr. E. Neal Kopp practiced with her for 14 years until his passing in 2008.  In addition, Dr. Sidney Tourial, an adjunct Emory Prosthodontic professor and this year’s GDA President has been in the practice for over 20 years.

Schedule dental visits for you and your family today by calling The Right Smile Center in Sandy Springs at 404-256-3620. Our dental office is conveniently located on Carpenter Drive off Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, and we serve patients from Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Buckhead, Dunwoody, East Cobb and surrounding communities. We welcome new patients and will be happy to answer all of your questions in person. Our dentists and team look forward to making you, and your loved ones, smile!

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC                                       

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

www.rightsmilecenter.com

info@rightsmilecenter.com

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Dentist East Cobb: So what exactly are dental veneers?

Veneers are wafer-thin laminates or shells of tooth-colored material (which can be either porcelain, ceramic or composite bonding material).  They are bonded (cemented) to the front surface of teeth to improve their cosmetic appearance.   It’s really not that much different from brick on the front of one’s home.  Many dentists use the alternative analogy that dental veneers are for your teeth what false fingernails are for your hands.  

What treatments or problems are veneers used for?

There are a wide variety of reasons why patients opt for treatment with dental veneers:

Stained teeth – badly stained or discolored that cannot be improved by teeth whitening or prophyflex treatments can be greatly improved by dental veneers, which function to cover any existing stains on your teeth.

Damaged teeth - teeth that have become badly worn through excessive grinding or by carbonated drinks, as well as those that have been chipped or broken, can benefit from veneers. A small chip on a tooth can quickly be repaired with composite bonding, also known as "composite veneers".   A single damaged tooth can easily be repaired with a porcelain veneer that has the same characteristics and color as you natural teeth.

Gaps - spaces or gaps (technically termed as a diastimas) between your teeth can easily be closed using dental veneers, giving you a more uniform-looking smile.

Crooked teeth - Veneers are not the ideal treatment for crooked teeth, and from the point of view of preserving your natural teeth structure, orthodontics or Invisalign braces would probably a better solution.   However, this type of treatment can take up to a year or longer and be significantly more in cost to accomplish.   For teeth that are not severely crooked, veneers placed over their front surface will give a straight and perfectly aligned-looking smile.   For this type of treatment, many people refer to veneers as "instant orthodontics", as you get a similar end result in a fraction of the time.

So which are better: composite veneers or porcelain veneers?

The most popular type of veneer is porcelain, which offers a stronger and more durable alternative to its composite counterpart.  Composite veneers are also more prone to staining and do not last as long as porcelain veneers.   Porcelain veneers also offer a more natural looking, translucent appearance. Composite veneers are much cheaper than porcelain veneers in general, but considering that they do not last as long and need replacing more often, they could end up costing more in both time and money in the long run.  Composite work is ideal for small chips, as this treatment preserves more of your natural tooth structure.

How long do dental veneers last?

Porcelain veneers will typically last between five and ten years, while composite veneers last a year or two at most. The bottom line is that your veneers will eventually need to be replaced. Although veneers are strongly cemented into place, there have been cases where they come loose and fall off. In such situations, it is important that you keep hold of your veneer and contact your dentist immediately. To make your veneers last longer, follow a good oral hygiene program and visit your dentist for check-ups on a regular basis.

Is it possible to have veneers fitted on the same day?

Usually, porcelain veneers are placed over a minimum of two visits as described above. A few cosmetic dentists have invested in CAM/CAD in-house ceramic studios such as E4D or CEREC, which can custom-produce high-quality ceramic veneers on-site in as little as six minutes. This technology enables the dental practice to offer single-visit, same-day ceramic veneers which are fitted within an hour.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a complimentary appointment to see if you’re a candidate for veneers, please contact us.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

info@rightsmilecenter.com

www.rightsmilecenter.com

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Dentist Marietta: How Much Do Teeth Cleanings Cost?

So you got a mailer coupon with the offer of $49.95 for a regular cleaning & $19.95 for an exam & x-ray.  Is it a cheap gimmick?  A lot of the time it is, it just depends on the practice.  If it’s a mature practice you might want to question why they are giving away services.  Is it a loss leader used to get you in and pressure you into other dental procedures?

If it’s a new practice, then providing discounted services is one of the few methods a new practice has to introduce itself to the surrounding community, no different than a new restaurant trying to showcase its menu.  The genuine intent is to build a relationship by showcasing the practice.

Dental costs will vary widely, depending on where you go and the quality of the practice you see.  With respect to continuing care (on your next 6 month visit), a teeth cleaning charge is going to range somewhere around $65 to $89, but it can be more if there’s a need to do a full mouth root scaling. Often dental insurance will cover some or all of this cost for a specific number of cleanings per year.  The exam is $45 to $55 and the 4 basic bite wing x-rays are around $59 to $72.  Depending on your insurance this might be covered anywhere from 60 to 100% after a small deductible is met.   Periodic X-rays ($32 -$135) are needed to see if any problems are developing inside the teeth or around the jaw bone, and are generally required before cleaning the teeth of a new patient (which is why some practices offer coupons to defray the initial cost of a first visit). These are also often covered by dental insurance.

The main goal of professional teeth cleaning is to prevent gum disease, which is the primary cause of tooth loss.  Dental hygiene is imperative, and cleaning your teeth is the first step toward their long term preservation.  In a standard cleaning, a dental hygienist (working under a dentist's supervision) removes soft plaque and hard tartar (mineralized plaque that builds up on the teeth and can only be removed with professional instruments) from above and below the gum line on all the teeth. The process requires one office visit and usually takes about 30 to 60 minutes.

The more extensive deep cleaning process called scaling and root planing is done by quadrants (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left) at a cost of about $100 -$400 per quadrant depending on the severity of the problem or $400 -$1,600 for the entire mouth. But more often than not, if the mouth is in such poor health the dentist will refer the patient to a periodontist.   Most dental insurance includes these procedures.

Again, your goal is a healthy mouth which an integral part of your overall health.  Oh, and by the way, just because you had your teeth cleaned professionally, the jobs not done.  You have to do your part and brush and floss daily if you want to keep them.   If you have additional questions, feel free to email or call our office.  Our goal here is to create an informed and healthy patient.

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC                                                              

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

www.rightsmilecenter.com

info@rightsmilecenter.com

 

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