What is a full mouth reconstruction?
A full mouth reconstruction, or full mouth restoration, is where there's been damage done to the mouth in a way that it's not functioning correctly overall. And as a prostadonist, I'm a specialist in dentistry. I've trained for an additional three years after dental school, and we've learned to treat those things.
Our goal is to get the mouth functioning and aesthetic, where you can smile confidently and chew anything you want comprehensively. We're looking at you and making sure that all the teeth are functioning the way they're supposed to.
Who would be a candidate for a full mouth reconstruction?
Typically, the patients that we see are patients who have worn their teeth down. It could be from multiple factors. They could have broken them because they're stressed. They're clenching their teeth during the day, or at nighttime, they're grinding their teeth, and they've gotten flatter. It could be age-related. Teeth tend to wear down over time, kind of like tires on a car. They get shorter or smaller. And those are things that we're looking for. Those are the patients who would qualify for full mouth reconstruction.
Is there anything that would disqualify you from full mouth reconstruction?
I can't really think of anybody who would be disqualified. I mean, there's always a way to fix the oral condition. We're looking at every patient individually. Full mouth reconstruction cases are so unique to each patient. No case is the same, and that's what I really love about my job. We really have to look at you on an individual basis. I can't say that anything in particular would disqualify you from us restoring your oral cavity.
What materials and restoration types do you use for full mouth reconstructions?
We use so many different things. It could be dental implants, dental crowns, dental bridges, implant bridges, onlays, or dental veneers. I mean, we can use combinations of those different treatment options. Again, it really boils down to every patient's case being specific.
We want to make sure that it's the right treatment option for you, but also what's the most cost-effective, what's going to benefit you for the longest period of time, and how can we make sure that you keep your teeth for the rest of your life? That's what we're trying to do.
Is a general dentist qualified to perform a full mouth reconstruction?
There are a lot of really qualified general dentists out there who have done a lot of extra training. What I will say is that as a prostadonist, I dedicated three extra years of my training after dental school just to focus on these kinds of cases. I wasn't working during that time. I was only servicing my patients in residency. I was there from morning to night for three straight years. And it's a very intense program where we purely focus on this kind of treatment, this kind of comprehensive care for patients.
Typically, when a general dentist takes on these kinds of cases, they've learned at a weekend course, but there's only so much you can learn at a weekend course. And I think it really is a benefit to them that they're actually going out there and getting extra training. That's awesome. But what I've noticed for myself, even with my extra training, because I do extra training at weekend courses occasionally, it's not the same as spending three years of your life focused on something versus, oh, I went for a weekend, and I'll learn something, and then now I'm going back to work the next week. It's really hard to change your philosophy.
By doing a specialty training, I learned a philosophy for three straight years. I focused purely on that, and I specialize in these kinds of treatments. So I know that we have the experience to handle these cases.
What is the process for going through a full dental reconstruction?
Well, the first step is examination. We have to see you. We have to see what's going on, and we have to find out the correct plan for you. There's no cookie-cutter method for a full mouth reconstruction. There's not just one way to do it. We're going to look at you as a patient. We're going to decide together, based on what you want, aesthetics, and function, how we can piece this back together and make your mouth function the way you want it to.
How long does a full mouth reconstruction take?
Typically, these are processes where you spend a lot of time with us. It's not something that is done really quickly, right? It typically takes me about 8 to 9 months to finish a case. It just really depends on the case. Some patients take a year and a half or so. That depends on whether we are doing surgery, not doing surgery, or doing crown and dental bridge work. Again, it just really depends on everybody's case. But I would say at minimum, I would expect 8 months, 9 months, something like that.
What anesthesia options are available for a full mouth reconstruction?
We do everything from just numbing to IV anesthesia with a medical office provider. We can definitely have IV anesthesia performed if you want to be asleep for this process. We can also do laughing gas if you just want to be relaxed but be able to drive to and from appointments. So we offer a wide range of sedation options for our patients.
How long does it take to heal from a full mouth reconstruction?
Well, healing honestly starts day one. Whenever we start the preparation work for the teeth, we actually put the temporary crowns on. They're really built to be long-term temporaries, and they're already going to give you function back.
So I'd say the healing process starts day one. You start off with broken teeth, and immediately we've given you something that's better than that. And honestly, healing from this process is not bad at all. A lot of our patients just notice significant improvement after their first visit.
Are there special care instructions following a full mouth reconstruction?
Well, we still want you to follow the same good dental hygiene practices at home: brushing two times a day, two minutes each, flossing once a day at nighttime, right before bed. We want you to come in for six-month recall appointments to make sure your teeth stay clean. Sometimes we provide our patients with trays to treat the teeth with a special fluoride gel or varnish to help protect them from cavities. It's typically routine care, though, just like you would take care of your teeth.
One thing we do recommend for patients that have our full mouth reconstructions done, we always put them in a night guard. We want to make sure that whatever caused you to destroy your teeth, we want to make sure that doesn't happen again. So if you're grinding your teeth or really clenching your teeth and breaking them, we want to make sure that we prevent that from happening. Part of this process is to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Are there financing options to help you pay for a full mouth reconstruction?
Absolutely. Just like when you go buy a vehicle, most patients don't pay out of pocket for this treatment. However, there are financing options available. Most of our patients do finance this treatment.
If you're interested in full mouth reconstruction or restoration, and you think you're in need of that kind of treatment or comprehensive care, please give us a call.
If you’re ready to schedule an exam or would like to learn more about our services, we’d love to hear from you. Call us at (832) 662-8466 or email [email protected]. We look forward to caring for your smile.