A Quick Guide to Full Mouth Reconstruction

If you are experiencing serious issues with your oral health, a few dental restorations simply may not be enough to fix your smile. Whether it’s because of advanced periodontal disease, certain medical conditions, or a traumatic dental injury, there may come a time when you need full mouth reconstruction. 

While it may sound intimidating at first, full mouth reconstruction can prove to be the best decision you’ve ever made. Restoring your teeth, regaining optimal oral health, and bringing back your beautiful smile can truly give you a new lease on life. 

If you need a skilled dentist near Greensboro, North Carolina, to restore most or even all of your teeth, Farless Dental Group will be happy to help. We offer reconstruction options to any patient looking to smile with pride once again. 

To help you get a better idea of what full mouth reconstruction might include, we’ve created this easy guide.  

What is full mouth reconstruction?

Full mouth reconstruction is the restoration of both form and function to the mouth of a patient who has suffered severe damage or decay to most or all of their teeth or who is missing most or all of their teeth. 

The process of reconstruction can involve a variety of different restorative, cosmetic, and other dental procedures. Those procedures include everything from dental bridges to dentures to periodontal treatment and more. 

Your optimal treatment plan depends on your particular situation.

When is full mouth reconstruction necessary?

There are a few different reasons why someone may need reconstruction. We’ve listed the most common ones below.

Traumatic Dental Injury

Sometimes the need for reconstruction arises swiftly following a traumatic dental injury that has left many teeth broken, damaged, or knocked out. In this instance, a patient may need certain oral surgeries that wouldn’t be necessary in other full mouth reconstruction cases.

Severe Decay

The need for full mouth reconstruction can sometimes result from untreated dental decay. When cavities are not filled in their early stages, they can progress to the point where significant treatments (as opposed to simple fillings) are necessary to restore the patient’s smile.

Medical Conditions

Sometimes certain conditions, such as ectodermal dysplasia or dentinogenesis imperfecta, can require full mouth reconstruction to fix. Another condition that might call for reconstruction is advanced periodontal disease.

What does full mouth reconstruction entail?

Full mouth reconstruction can use a combination of dental treatments to restore your smile. Below are some of those most commonly used in this type of treatment plan.

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are a cosmetic procedure used to improve the appearance of front-facing teeth that are chipped, cracked, discolored, crooked, spaced, and more.

Gum Contouring

The teeth are often the major focus of reconstruction, but there are instances in which the gums may be reshaped to give your new smile the perfect finishing touches.

Dental Bridges

A dental bridge replaces a missing tooth using existing teeth to support a toothlike prosthetic. Unlike a partial denture, it is not removable but is permanently cemented in place. In some instances, a bridge can actually be used to replace multiple consecutive missing teeth.

Dental Crowns

When decay is significant enough that a filling won’t fix the issue, the tooth may need a dental crown. Once your dentist removes all decay and prepares the tooth, they fabricate the crown to completely cover the tooth, then permanently cement it in place.

Dentures

A denture is a removable prosthetic device designed to replace multiple missing teeth throughout the mouth (partial denture) or an entire arch of missing teeth (full denture). This is a very affordable option for anyone who needs to replace many missing teeth at once.

Dental Implants

When one or more teeth are missing, dental implants can replace them permanently. Your dentist starts by placing a titanium post into the jawbone, which can then support a natural-looking crown once healed. Usually, this is a months-long process from start to finish due to the time needed for the implant to fuse together with the bone, tissue to heal completely, and dentist to make the crown, but the permanent result is well worth it.

Root Canal Therapy

If a tooth is infected, then it likely needs a root canal. Root canals involve creating a tiny hole in the tooth through which the dentist can remove the infected pulp and bacteria.

Extractions

When a tooth is beyond repair, the best option is to extract it. Afterward, there are multiple options for replacement, such as dental bridges and dental implants.

How much does full mouth reconstruction cost?

The cost of reconstruction varies widely depending on case complexity and treatment required. Treatments on the lower end of the cost spectrum include root canals, crowns, veneers, dental bonding, and gum contouring. Treatments on the higher end of the cost spectrum include dental bridges, dental implants, and jaw surgery. 

You may be tempted to simply type “how much is a full mouth reconstruction” into Google in order to get an idea of what your cost might look like, but that’s only going to give you an array of conflicting answers. Reach out to Farless Dental Group today for an evaluation, and we’ll go over the specifics of your case in order to determine a far more accurate estimate regarding your full mouth reconstruction.