What is full mouth reconstruction?
Full mouth reconstruction is the process for repairing the teeth. Whether it's one or two or three or four or the majority of teeth that are damaged, your dental work needs to solve the issues that you have, repair anything that's structurally broken or compromised, and give you back your ability to smile and chew and speak and be social. The process addresses the bite altogether and involves adjusting, fixing, repairing, or replacing the majority or sometimes even all of the teeth. That is a full mouth reconstruction.
Who would be a candidate for full mouth reconstruction?
Candidates for full mouth reconstruction can be anyone, irrespective of age or gender. However, the necessity of full mouth reconstruction arises when all of the teeth are worn and the bite isn't functioning anymore. The top and the bottom don't match up and you have lost all the functions that you used to have. In such cases, you should start asking if you need to do something to fix your bite, fix all of your teeth and get back your ability to function, smile, chew, and speak.
What would qualify someone for being a candidate for full mouth reconstruction?
Reasons that might necessitate a full mouth reconstruction include prior experience with eating disorders, acid reflux, or a true dysfunction in the bite itself. Eating disorders can wreck havoc on the teeth due to exposure to acids, detrimental diet, and malnutrition. Acid reflux can damage all of the outer surface, all of the enamel. Lastly, if you are a clencher or a grinder, you might fracture and destroy your own teeth.
What are the different treatment options for full mouth reconstruction?
The treatment options depend on the type of breakdown there is, the kind of outcome you'd like to see, and how much structure you have left. One of the most conservative ways is to build up tooth by tooth using composites or crowns. If there's not enough foundation left, we need to discuss alternatives, which can include dental implants.
Is a general dentist qualified to perform a full mouth reconstruction?
A general dentist is well-versed to do the repair in the case of salvageable teeth. However, that's not the kind of training each dentist gets in dental school. As dentists get continuing education, study these kinds of rehabs specifically, they gain the knowledge of how to help their patients. The answer to that question is you need to have a discussion with your dentist and find out if they're the right person for you.
What is the process of full mouth reconstruction?
A full mouth reconstruction is a process. If there's something broken and we can fix it, we'll fix it. This has to happen for each tooth. It's not a fun process, but the outcome is absolutely worth it. Most full mouth reconstructions don't happen in one time. A lot of times there's some precursor buildup steps, some tooth repair steps, and then a long process where we trial the new bite, where we preview the new teeth, where you can just get used to the bite, the smile, the speech, the aesthetics, and make sure that that's the right fit for you.
What are the anesthesia options during full mouth reconstruction?
Anesthesia is a part of the full mouth rehab, but it's not something that is dramatically different than you've seen before at other dental appointments. Patient comfort is our first focus.
How long does it take to heal from a full mouth reconstruction?
The process of healing from a full mouth reconstruction can be as quick as just a couple of days to as long as a couple of weeks. It depends on how quickly you get comfort with your new bite. Once you arrive at that new position, you get a good sense of security and trust in that new bite. The manufacturing process takes a long time, but there's not a significant recovery time with it.
Are there any special care instructions following the full mouth reconstruction?
After a full mouth reconstruction, we tell people, don't use your teeth as tools. You should chew the foods that you like, brush your teeth how you like, and make sure you clean in between them. Treat your teeth like teeth. We're not going to put you in limp mode. Your teeth work perfectly fine. They will work fine after a full mouth rehab, but you just got to follow those reasonable rules.
Will a full mouth reconstruction last the rest of my life?
The average lifespan of a new crown is getting longer and longer, whereas we used to quote, eh, 8 to 12 years, we're more comfortable saying, your crown should last somewhere between 15 and 20 years at this point. So, that's the average lifespan of a new crown.
Will dental insurance cover the cost of a full mouth reconstruction?
Most dental plans and dental benefits clock in at somewhere around $1,500 to $2,000 a year, making it very difficult to find a plan or a program that would pay for the costs that you would need to replace 10 teeth or 12 teeth or 24 teeth if you're going to do a complete rehab. Dental benefits are not designed to help with the cost of something like a full mouth rehab.
Are financing options available to help you pay for a full mouth reconstruction?
Most people find a way to budget this into their life. In the same way that people can finance cars or any other big purchase, they find basically the same kind of financing options for dental work. If that dental work is big or significant or even a full mouth rehab, there's lots of avenues available. We have at least three wonderful choices, even here in-house, to help with something just like that.
How can I schedule an appointment to talk about full mouth reconstruction?
If you think that you might need a full mouth rehab, the answer is as simple as picking up the phone and giving us a call. Our office number is 503-786-3000.