Restorative dentistry has a specialist. Most patients never know to look for one. Dr. Cary Goldstein holds a Certificate of Prosthodontics from USC, a three-year post-doctoral specialty focused entirely on restoring and replacing teeth. He is not a general dentist who also does crowns. He is the prosthodontist Atlanta general dentists refer their complex cases to.
Restorative Dentistry by Atlanta’s Prosthodontist
Why Prosthodontic Training Changes the Outcome
Prosthodontics is one of twelve recognized dental specialties. A prosthodontist completes dental school and then three additional years of post-doctoral training focused on the restoration and replacement of teeth, including the biomechanics of occlusion, crown and bridge preparation, implants, and full mouth reconstruction. Most dentists do not have that training. Many do excellent work. But when a case is complex, the difference in foundation shows.
Dr. Goldstein completed his Certificate of Prosthodontics at the University of Southern California in 1986, two years after earning his DMD at the Medical College of Georgia. That training gave him a foundation in occlusion, crown preparation, and case planning that shapes every restoration he does today.
In 1999, he translated that expertise into the Goldstein Crown Kit, a set of crown preparation instruments he designed for Brasseler Dental. The kit became a standard tool in the field. He has been teaching crown preparation at the Dental College of Georgia since 1992 and has held a professorship there since 2010. He has, quite literally, trained the dentists other practices refer their complex cases to.
For patients, the practical consequence is this: when you need a crown, a bridge, implants, or full mouth reconstruction, the training level your dentist brings to the case changes the outcome. Dr. Goldstein plans, prepares, and manages your case differently than a general dentist who also does crowns. And for complex cases, he does not refer out. He is the specialist.
Restorative Services at Goldstein Dental Center
Each of the following services has a dedicated page with clinical detail, patient FAQs, and information on what to expect. This is the overview.
Dental Implants
Dr. Goldstein handles the planning and restoration phases of implant treatment. Surgical placement is performed by Dr. Bruce Edelstein and Dr. Christopher Pesut. The restoration is designed before surgery takes place: using cone beam CT imaging, Dr. Goldstein establishes the position and dimensions of the final crown, then passes that specification to the surgical team. The implant is placed to serve the restoration, not the other way around.
Dental Crowns and Bridges
Crown preparation is the technical core of prosthodontic training. Dr. Goldstein has spent more than three decades perfecting and teaching the technique. Whether you need a single crown to restore a damaged tooth or a multi-unit bridge to replace a missing one, the precision of the preparation determines how long the restoration lasts and how naturally it functions within your bite.
Full Mouth Reconstruction
Full mouth reconstruction is what happens when multiple teeth, or the entire bite relationship, need to be restored at once. It requires planning the case end-to-end: assessing occlusion, sequencing treatment, and building every restoration around a single coherent outcome. This is the work prosthodontic training exists for. There is no referral involved, and no handoff between providers. Dr. Goldstein manages the case from consultation to completion.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Traditional dentures sit on the gumline. Implant-supported dentures anchor to the jawbone, eliminating movement, restoring chewing function more completely, and slowing the bone resorption that accelerates with tooth loss. Dr. Goldstein plans the restorative component of implant-supported dentures with the same prosthodontic precision applied to single-tooth work. The result is a more stable, more functional, and longer-lasting restoration than conventional dentures provide.
What to Expect: The Goldstein Approach to Restoration
Restorative dentistry at this level starts with a thorough consultation, not a treatment plan that was already written before you arrived. Dr. Goldstein reviews your dental history, current X-rays, and clinical findings, then gives you a candid assessment of your options, including the tradeoffs between them.
Most patients arrive knowing something is wrong. Fewer arrive with a clear picture of what is actually involved or what the right long-term solution looks like. That assessment, giving you the full picture rather than just the next procedure, is where the consultation does its work.
From there, a written treatment plan outlines the sequence of work, estimated timelines, and what each phase involves. For multi-procedure cases, the plan accounts for the relationships between treatments. The order matters, and a prosthodontist-trained provider plans accordingly.
Procedures are completed in-office in Buckhead, generally across a planned sequence of appointments. Temporaries protect prepared teeth between visits where applicable. Final restorations are fabricated to precise specifications. Follow-up confirms fit, bite, and long-term function.
Why Atlanta Patients Choose Dr. Goldstein for Restorative Work
Dr. Goldstein has been practicing prosthodontics in Atlanta for nearly four decades. Credentials earned over that period are not the same thing as credentials claimed in marketing copy.
The peer-voted Top Dentist of Atlanta designation, which he has held consecutively from 2017 through 2026, comes from other dentists, not from patient surveys. It represents the judgment of the professional community that refers cases out, not advertising spend that generates reviews.
In 2020, he served as President of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, one of the more selective professional bodies in the field. He served on its Executive Board for eleven years, from 2010 through 2021.
The Goldstein Crown Kit, introduced in 1999 through Brasseler Dental, remains in clinical use. He designed those instruments. Many practitioners in this market use them daily without knowing who did.
And since 1992, he has taught crown preparation at the Dental College of Georgia, where he has held a full professorship since 2010. His former students are practicing dentists across Atlanta now. When complex restorative cases exceed a general dentist’s training, the referral often ends up here. That is not a coincidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a prosthodontist, and how is it different from a general dentist?
Prosthodontics is one of twelve recognized dental specialties. A prosthodontist completes dental school and then three additional years of post-doctoral residency training focused specifically on restoring and replacing teeth, including crowns, bridges, implants, dentures, and full mouth reconstruction. A general dentist has a broad scope of practice across all areas of dentistry. A prosthodontist has a deep, concentrated focus in this one. Dr. Goldstein completed his Certificate of Prosthodontics at the University of Southern California in 1986.
Do I need a prosthodontist, or can my regular dentist handle my restoration?
For routine single-tooth work without complications, a general dentist is often adequate. For anything involving multiple teeth, bite reconstruction, implants, a history of failed or poor-fitting restorations, or complex full mouth cases, the specialized training and case-planning approach a prosthodontist brings makes a real difference. If you are unsure what your case involves, a consultation will give you a clear picture.
What restorative services does Goldstein Dental Center offer?
Dental implants, dental crowns and bridges, full mouth reconstruction, and implant-supported dentures. Each has a dedicated page on this site with clinical detail and FAQs. Dr. Goldstein is a board-trained prosthodontist and has practiced in Buckhead for nearly four decades. All restorative procedures are performed in-office.
How long do dental crowns and bridges typically last?
Crowns and bridges typically last 10 to 20 years or longer with proper care and regular maintenance. Longevity depends on the quality of the tooth preparation, the materials and fabrication standards used, and how the restoration fits within the bite. A crown prepared with prosthodontic precision and fabricated to close tolerances tends to perform at the higher end of that range.
What happens during a restorative dentistry consultation at Goldstein Dental Center?
Dr. Goldstein reviews your dental history, current X-rays, and clinical presentation. You receive a candid assessment of your options, including what each involves, what the tradeoffs are, and what the realistic long-term outcome looks like. The consultation ends with a written treatment plan if restoration work is recommended, or an honest explanation if a different path makes more sense.
Does Dr. Goldstein place dental implants, or only restore them?
Goldstein Dental Center handles the planning and restoration phases of implant treatment. Surgical placement is performed by Dr. Bruce Edelstein and Dr. Christopher Pesut. This is the correct specialist model: periodontists and oral surgeons place implants, prosthodontists restore them. Dr. Goldstein designs the final restoration before any surgery occurs, so the implant is placed to serve the crown rather than the crown compensating for wherever the implant landed.
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Ready to Restore Your Smile with a Specialist?
Crowns, implants, full mouth reconstruction, and implant-supported dentures, planned and performed by Atlanta’s prosthodontist. Schedule a consultation at our Buckhead office and get a clear picture of your options from a dentist who has spent four decades on exactly this work.
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Serving patients in Atlanta, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Vinings, and the surrounding metro area.