Full Mouth Restoration

Those of us here at Encino Cosmetic Dentistry want you to understand that a full mouth restoration is just that: the rebuilding of your entire mouth by replacing all of your teeth. Both aesthetics and restorative dentistry are combined here to improve your mouth’s health, beauty, and overall function.

Who Needs a Full Mouth Reconstruction?

Many people, unfortunately, suffer from dental problems throughout their entire mouth, including multiple missing teeth; large, decayed fillings; and cracks caused by poor oral health habits like teeth grinding (a.k.a. bruxism). Trauma can also cause you to need a full mouth reconstruction. Other patients were born with conditions that require extensive restoration of their teeth (e.g., oral cancer; a gene mutation is known as Dentinogenesis Imperfecta; enamel forming on your teeth a.k.a. Amelogenesis). It’s important for all these patients to receive comprehensive treatment.

Why You May Need a Full Mouth Restoration

This procedure is specifically tailored for each person because everyone will need something different depending on whether you’re suffering from tooth loss, some type of damage to your mouth, or visual inconsistencies. Each of these reasons for needing a full mouth restoration will require different types of procedures. This is something that we can consult with you about.

Typically, reconstruction will involve more than one visit to our office. It isn’t unreasonable to expect to undergo treatment for a period of 12 months or longer, but this will depend on your situation. Some of the most common treatments that are used for a full mouth restoration include prophylactic teeth cleaning; further exposing your healthy teeth to help with the placement of bridges, crowns, and veneers; jaw repositioning; gum contouring (reshaping to even out your gum line); orthodontics (e.g. braces) for repositioning your teeth; and bone or soft tissue grafting to make your teeth more stable prior to getting Dental Implants.

We will start with temporary restorations that will let you grow accustomed to your new teeth and how they feel in your mouth, especially when you bite down on or chew your food. From there we’ll add permanent restorations (e.g., bridges, veneers, crowns, inlays/onlays made from ceramic or a combination of ceramic and metal).

Important Physical Considerations Before Having a Full Mouth Restoration

There are many things you must seriously consider before undergoing a full mouth restoration. You simply can’t rush into this without taking care, spending time considering everything, and paying close attention, especially when it comes to functionality and aesthetics. Make sure you take time to discuss all these things with us so you can make a smart decision here.

Aesthetics include things like color, spacing, shape, alignment, visual balance, facial foundation, and your smile line. These are things that can be improved with a full mouth restoration. We’ll make sure to help you find the perfect color for any new teeth, as well as the ideal material for any new appliances you may need.

Spacing is also important because ideally, your teeth should be an even distance from each other. When awkwardly spaced or there are gaps, you may need a Dental Implant to replace your missing teeth and improve spacing. This also makes your mouth more functional as it gives you a better bite.

Your tooth’s shape will need to be sculpted to the right shape and proportion. Of course, this is something that changes over time since they wear down, but their shape is still important. While men have more square teeth, women have slightly tapered teeth. Things like crowns and implants must consider these, even though we can use them to make you look more youthful.

In the same way that shaping is important, so is alignment. Unfortunately, about 65% of Americans have a malocclusion (teeth with varying degrees of crookedness). This is aesthetically displeasing, especially since 38% of Americans will judge a potential partner based on their smile. Fortunately, it’s something that a full mouth restoration can help fix for you.

Most of this has to do with visually balancing your smile and your teeth. Your smile is just as unique to you as your fingerprint is. This is why we must work together in creating the perfect smile – not just copying and pasting a generic one on your face. It’s just as important to us, as it is to you, that your unique beauty is reflected in an enhanced way once your full mouth restoration is complete.

Remember, while these things have a lot to do with your teeth and gums, a full mouth reconstruction goes far beyond that. Together we’re enhancing and improving on your face’s structure. With treatments like the all-on-4 dental implants, we can stimulate jaw bone growth so you’ll have a fuller looking face. We can also help your lips and cheeks look fuller by providing the right procedures.

Important Functional Considerations Before Having a Full Mouth Restoration

Not only are there many things we will work together on physically, but functionally as well. This is because you must undergo more than a single appointment. There are many considerations that must be made here – including your medical history to see if you have any health conditions that affect how this procedure will go.

It’s also important to create a schedule that is efficient while making sure you’re comfortable throughout the entire process. At the same time, it’s important to keep things affordable and take recovery time into consideration. All these things must be highly coordinated, which is why multiple appointments of various lengths are necessary.

Throughout all these appointments, we must remember that your teeth and smile are more than aesthetical. They play a critical role in your daily activities (e.g. speaking, showing your emotions, eating). This is why the procedures we use to create your new smile’s design must take functionality into consideration. We’ll work together to meet your needs, make you look better, and improve your functionality at the same time.

Additionally, you must understand the routine care and maintenance your new smile will require. The oral care routine you must follow will depend on what procedures you undergo. Nevertheless, we want to work with you to make sure that your new smile will last you for a long time into the future. This is why we’ll explain to you when a procedure requires routine follow-up appointments. These may be necessary to correct shifting, adjust the fit, and ensure things are functioning well overall.

Starting the Process

If you think this procedure may be right for you, make an appointment with us to have a comprehensive exam. This will allow us to examine your mouth and determine how much of a problem you have, along with what treatment options can be used to fix it. There are many things we’ll want to look for during this appointment.

It’s important to consider the condition your teeth are in because then we can understand what restorative procedures you need (e.g., full-coverage crowns, Dental Implants, porcelain veneers, bridges, inlays/onlays). We’ll also note any wear, cracking, cavities or decay you may have. It’s important also to see if any of your teeth are moving or if they’re longer or shorter than they should be. Root canals should also be brought to our attention at this time.

Another important part of your mouth is your periodontal (a.k.a. gum) tissues. If they’re unhealthy, you’ll probably need scaling and planning as well as other intensive treatments to help ensure that your new teeth have a solid foundation. These treatments may include things like grafting (builds up your gums and jaw bone). This is why we’ll look for deep pockets surrounding your teeth; consider the amount of gum tissue you have, and see if you have any diseases or irregularities present.

Beyond your gums and your teeth, we can’t overlook your jaw, its joints, and any surrounding blood vessels as we create a new, stable bite for you – one that isn’t painful or destructive. These are so important to consider that sometimes we’ll suggest orthodontic procedures before we do a full mouth restoration.

To gather all the necessary information here, we must take X-rays and impressions. Our lab will create models of your teeth and your bite. Computer imaging, a CT scan (a.k.a. computed tomography scan), and intraoral photography (using a really small, pen-shaped camera to get a closer look at your oral health from angles that can’t be seen otherwise) are also quite beneficial.

Sometimes we’ll also consult with a periodontist, orthodontist, or oral surgeon to develop the best, comprehensive, step-by-step treatment plan for you. If there’s something that you don’t understand along the way, we strongly encourage you to ask about it. We will also give you a detailed written description of this treatment plan so you can review it outside of our office where you may feel a little less anxious about things. This will also allow you to get a second opinion so that you’re aware of all the risks and benefits that are involved.

Planning Your Treatment

The most important stage of your full mouth restoration is surprisingly the planning phase. This will determine both the cost and the length of your treatment. While you may be tempted to wait for long periods between treatments, remember that your smile does change with time. This can cause you to need additional treatment, which costs more money. As such, you need to work with us to develop the best treatment plan possible.

Recovering from Treatment

The type of treatment you receive will greatly impact how long it will take you to recover. This is why it’s important to know what work will be done ahead of time.

When you have teeth that are decayed or damaged, you may need fillings, crowns, or bridges. These will make your gums feel slightly tender as you grow accustomed to them. We may suggest taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, but you should feel fine in a few days.

On the other hand, if we must remove all your teeth and fit you with dentures, your gums will need a few weeks to grow accustomed to them. As your tissue adjusts, we’ll need to make some adjustments to your new prosthesis too. If we also did any extractions before placing your dentures, full recovery may take even longer – up to a few months.

When this type of work is following periodontal care due to gum disease, your treatment plan will grow longer. If your gum disease is mild, you may only need some scaling and planning – non-surgical procedures from which you’ll almost immediately recover. However, more advanced cases of gum disease will require surgery, and this will require a few months for healing to take place.

Recovery Tips

Recovering from full mouth reconstruction will require you to take a few days off work. However, you may need more time if you have multiple implants. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be completely healed by the time you return to work. The whole healing process will take anywhere from 3 – 6 months. This is because your bone will need time to fuse to the new implant – a process that’s known as osseointegration. Regardless of how long it takes you to recover, it’s important that you don’t try to do too much too soon.

To help you with a successful recovery we’ll give you a detailed list of what you should and shouldn’t do during your post-treatment period. You should follow them precisely to make sure that you don’t have any pain or discomfort and so that you recover quickly and successfully.

Typically, we’ll give you some medication that you should take exactly as prescribed; instruct you to use a cold compress to help reduce any swelling that may occur; and tell you to call us immediately if you think something is wrong. For those who undergo oral surgery to get dental implants, you’ll also need to keep strenuous activity to a minimum for a while.

Now that you have a full grasp of what this is, if you feel that you’re in need of a full mouth restoration, contact us here at Encino Cosmetic Dentistry by calling (818) 783-0408 today.