Candidates for Full Mouth Reconstruction
The damage or loss of multiple teeth can be traumatic, undermining your confidence in your appearance and making it difficult to perform everyday actions like eating and speaking. Indeed, poor oral health can leave patients feeling frustrated and isolated, but for the right candidate, a restorative dentist can perform a full mouth reconstruction to recapture that happy and healthy smile.
What Is Full Mouth Reconstruction?
There is no one single procedure that constitutes a full mouth reconstruction. Instead, full mouth reconstruction is a term to describe a combination of two or more cosmetic and restorative dentistry procedures that can rebuild oral structure after damage caused by tooth decay, illness, or injury. Some of the most common procedures involved with full mouth reconstruction include:
- Porcelain dental crowns
- Dental bridges
- Permanent dental implants
- Full or partial dentures
- Porcelain veneers
- Gum reshaping
- Periodontal treatment
- Bone grafts
During a consultation, your dentist will assess your individual situation and develop a treatment plan that is best for you.
Am I a Good Candidate for Full Mouth Reconstruction?
How do you know if you are a good candidate for full mouth reconstruction? If you are just suffering from a cavity or a single chipped tooth, a dentist can repair your smile with a simple filling. Full mouth reconstruction is tailored toward patients who are in need of reconstruction to repair extensive damage. An ideal candidate for full mouth reconstruction is a patient with:
- Multiple broken, worn, loose, or missing teeth
- Advanced tooth decay
- Advanced gum disease (periodontitis) with tissue or bone loss
How Long Is the Full Mouth Reconstruction Process?
Many patients want to know how long it will take to go through with a full mouth reconstruction process. This depends entirely on which procedures are being employed as part of the process. Relatively minor procedures like the placement of a dental crown or bridge can be achieved in just one or two dentist visits, while more complicated procedures like dental implants are completed over a series of months and several procedures. For example, dental implants start with oral surgery to implant titanium posts into the jawbone, a process that may itself be preceded by surgery to strengthen the jaw with bone grafts. It can take up to six months for the posts to heal and integrate with the bone, after which your dentist can permanently affix an abutment and a crown, or full or partial denture structure.
Full Mouth Reconstruction and Sedation Dentistry
A full mouth reconstruction is not a quick and simple process. To the contrary, it can involve multiple procedures and visits. This can cause anxiety for patients, making it difficult to see the process through from start to finish. But sedation dentistry can make full mouth reconstruction a more relaxed and pleasant experience.
At the office of Dr. Porter, we offer several sedation dentistry options including local anesthesia, nitrous oxide gas, and oral sedation medication to ease patient apprehension. During your consultation, your dentist will be able to determine what type of sedation would be best to fit your needs.
Learn More about Full Mouth Reconstruction Today
Everyone deserves a full and beautiful smile, and full mouth reconstruction can help you regain the smile you remember. If you are in need of multiple restorative dentistry procedures, don’t wait. Contact Dr. Charles Porter III, DDS, to schedule a consultation and learn more about your options for full mouth reconstruction today.