A: Full mouth reconstruction Is when we have to replace or rebuild all the teeth in a person’s mouth because of their health, their function, and their appearance.
It’s one of the most complicated treatments in dentistry because it entails replacing every tooth. So you have to handle the shape, the color, and the size of every tooth. You have to create a new occlusal skin, you have to make sure the patient is happy, comfortable, and functional.
It’s very different than doing one or two teeth—that’s a lot of the time, what’s normally is done in general dentistry. Prosthodontists are specialists in full mouth reconstruction and in many of the cases I do, involve dental implants, which is my area of focus in my office.
Full mouth reconstruction gives us a blank canvas. We can recreate a smile and it gives us full control of all the factors that before were prohibitive. We get to choose the color, the size, and shape of teeth and redesign everything that was there before.
It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to give patients the health, function, and appearance they want in their smile.
The Basics Of Full Mouth Reconstruction
Full mouth reconstruction is one of the most complex forms of treatment in dentistry as Dr. Monarres mentioned. It effectively re-creates a new smile from scratch when you have severe dental problems that result in a “broken” smile.
For example, if you’ve lost all your teeth, or have severely crooked or deformed teeth—this treatment can reverse that. While it may sound purely cosmetic, full mouth reconstruction is also a functional treatment as well. When you have lost a majority of your teeth or have those malocclusions, they can interfere with daily life.
Activities such as eating, speaking, and in some cases, even swallowing, can be impeded significantly or become quite uncomfortable. This is due to how misaligned, crooked, and missing teeth can affect jaw positioning and how the tongue rests. In some of the worst-case scenarios when it comes to dental abnormalities, full mouth reconstruction can drastically improve one’s health.
What Does The Treatment Correct?
There are several procedures that can make up a full mouth reconstruction, depending on each case. Since the procedure is used to correct many dental diseases, replace bad dental work, and correct bite and other issues the actual procedures vary. However, the overall general concept is the same—a full, creation of a patient’s smile, custom-designed to complement their features.
A Comprehensive Approach
Whenever you’re faced with a myriad of dental health issues, it takes an approach that can tackle the issues comprehensively. Utilizing a variety of reconstruction methods in a condensed time frame, full mouth reconstruction is the ideal solution. The treatment is used to tackle several problem areas in the mouth such as:
- Soft And Hard Tissue Issues— Your mouth is a combination of hard tissue like your teeth and jawbone as well as soft tissue like gums, tongue, and inner cheeks. Additionally, there’s connective tissue that holds all your dental structures in place. These include blood vessels, nerves, and tendons.
- Lower And Upper Teeth Interaction— Full mouth reconstruction also addresses issues between your two arches of teeth. Specifically, it deals with bite alignment, occlusion, and how they function together. They have to work together perfectly to have a healthy smile.
- Oral Cancer— In some cases, full mouth reconstruction is called for due to issues that arise from oral cancer. It not only usually involves replacing missing teeth, but also oral cavity restoration. Of course, this is on top of chemo or immunotherapy that’s administered to eradicate the cancer.
What Treatments Are Used In Full Mouth Construction?
To put it in perspective, full mouth reconstruction requires your dentist to dig deep into all their skills to correct your smile. This often means employing every treatment they’ve learned in their time as a dentist. This procedure is more complicated as it marries function and cosmetics to create a smile that is both beautiful and practical. Some of these treatments include.
- Restorative Dental Procedures— This would include inlays, onlays, dental crowns, bridges, and other similar dental procedures.
- Periodontics —This includes periodontal surgery, scaling, and root planing.
- Dental Implants— Dental implants restore missing teeth with a 1:1 permanent fit. They look, feel, and function identical to natural teeth. All On Four is the most popular dental implant procedure used in full mouth reconstruction.
- Oral Surgery—This can include everything from extractions to tissue and bone grafting, as well as root canal therapy.
- Orthodontics—Includes treatments such as retainers, spacers, expanders, braces, or dental aligners.
- Bruxism Prevention— This includes devices to curb bruxism or limit the damage from grinding teeth at night.
- Cosmetic Dentistry— This aims to serve the cosmetic desires of the patient. It can correct gumline shape, dental bonding, whitening of the teeth, as well as veneers.
Who Is A Good Candidate For Full Mouth Reconstruction?
This procedure isn’t for someone who has minor issues such as slightly misshapen teeth, minor overbite, or stained teeth. This is reserved for cases of severe comorbid oral conditions that significantly impact one’s life.
The reason why we say this is because the process, depending on the issues you have, is intensive and complicated. However, the payoff, in the end, makes the process worth it because it drastically improves your quality of life.
You should be healthy enough to undergo various degrees of oral surgery and anesthesia. For example, if you have complicating conditions such as heart problems or diabetes—consult your doctor. These conditions can have an impact on deciding what procedures are safe for you to undergo.
Other Factors To Consider
Two other considerations as to whether full mouth reconstruction is safe for you, include:
- Oral Health Regimen Issues— Patients who are tobacco users, excessive drinkers, or use illegal drugs are not good candidates. They will most likely fail to get long-term benefits from the procedures involved in full mouth reconstruction. Additionally, patients who refuse to maintain proper oral hygiene will not be good candidates either. All of these vices and issues inhibit proper healing to some degree and pose a threat to overall health as well.
- Age Considerations— Typically, younger patients will respond better to the schedule of treatments used. Also, they tend to heal faster and stronger compared to elderly patients. The statistics show that the older the patient, the more difficult the recovery. However, that does not mean older people aren’t good candidates. It simply means the process may be a bit more complicated for them depending on the severity of their conditions.
It’s A Brand New Smile, A Brand New Start
If you’re suffering through multiple dental conditions that have severely damaged your smile this is the break you need. Full mouth reconstruction can restore your smile’s appearance and function. Although cosmetic improvement is not the primary goal in this treatment—it is a nice perk.
It allows you to design your smile from scratch and make sure all of your needs and goals are met. If you’ve always wanted that smile that’s photogenic and healthy—this is the solution.
Get Your New Smile From Dr. Monarres
Dr. Monarres has extensive experience in all of the treatments used in this procedure and has had thousands of successful cases. If your smile is putting your health and emotional well-being at risk, contact us today to book your free consultation!
