Full Mouth Reconstruction

There are a variety of options available for a patient who needs help restoring a smile. Full mouth reconstruction includes but is not limited to implants, crowns or bridges.  Some patients may need bone grafting or surgery depending on what procedures will be done by the dentist.

FULL MOUTH RECONSTRUCTION EXAMPLES

The patient might have missing teeth or their teeth might be chipped, broken, or have heavy decay.   In order to make their gums healthy and replace their missing teeth, they must undergo full mouth reconstruction.

Another reason people have full mouth reconstruction is teeth grinding. People that grind their teeth at night (AKA bruxism) can erode the enamel and wear their teeth down. People who do not have cavities but do grind their teeth down can need a reconstruction procedure if they wear their teeth down too much. In fact, the nose and the chin come closer together if the teeth are shorter. When a person bites down, their teeth are supposed to touch. The bite stops at a certain point so the nose and chin are a certain distance apart. If the teeth are worn down and the mouth has to close farther before the teeth touch, it means the nose and chin are closer together than they should be.

METHODS TO REBUILD THE MOUTH

One way to perform a full mouth restoration is to replace the missing teeth with implants such as bridges.

Another method is placing a crown on every single tooth. The top teeth show more when a person smiles and the lower teeth show more when a person talks. If the patient has teeth that have worn down from grinding, crowns help to restore the original shape and size of the teeth. They can also make the teeth whiter and straighter than before they were damaged. Full mouth reconstruction can replace missing or damaged teeth and restore the vertical dimension that may have been worn down when the nose and chin have grown closer together.

Some patients have problems with their teeth that do not involve the teeth being short. They are just missing teeth or their teeth are broken. A doctor can do create crowns or veneers to fix the broken teeth and make the individual teeth stronger.

Doctors can also work on a section at a time such as the upper right and then the lower left. They can extend the process of the procedure to. It takes more visits to the dentist but it can improve the quality of the procedure. If a person cannot afford to take off that much time from their job then sedation may be used to put the patient to sleep and complete the treatment in one day. Full mouth revitalization involves a lot of work so putting the patient to sleep helps make the process easier for them. It is easier to make sure the teeth line up correctly when the restoration is done at one time.

IDEAL CANDIDATES

Anybody who has lost or worn down teeth is an ideal candidate for full mouth reconstruction.

LIMITATIONS

One of the main limitations of full mouth reconstruction happens when the patient has teeth that are literally worn to the gum line. There might not be enough left to work with. However, what is left can be taken out and replaced with implants to rebuild the mouth.

RECOVERY TIME

If the patient is getting their whole mouth done in one visit, they are usually put under sedation to make the procedure easier on them. The patient will be a little groggy after the procedure thanks to the sedation but they will be fine the next day. They will need someone to drive them home as the sedation will make them groggy and sleepy. Their teeth might be a little sensitive depending on the extent of the work performed.  There is also some soreness from the anesthetic shots for a day or two.

Once the patient gets home, they will generally sleep off the sedation and maybe not remember much about the procedure. They should  be fine the next morning to go back to work.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Full mouth reconstruction is a way to improve and restore the teeth as well a person’s overall smile. Teeth loss due to decay or accidents can be restored and repaired. Depending on the amount of work that needs to be performed, full mouth reconstruction can be an involved and expensive undertaking. A patient needs to consult with an experienced doctor before making any final decisions about reconstruction surgery on their mouth.

Written by Cosmetic Town Editorial Team- MA

Based on an exclusive interview with Robin Rutherford, DDS in Odessa, Texas