Full Mouth Restoration
People sometimes confuse full mouth restoration with a smile makeover. While both may involve multiple procedures, they differ in significant ways. The purpose of a smile makeover is to enhance appearance via cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening and dental veneers. A full mouth restoration is medical rather than cosmetic in nature, and its purpose is to replace or rebuild most or all the teeth.
Do You Need Full Mouth Restoration?
Below are the most common reasons people may need full mouth restoration.
- Congenital conditions have caused the teeth to grow abnormally, including some that may not have erupted.
- Extensive tooth decay or gum disease has weakened and loosened teeth to the point that they require extraction.
- Loss of multiple teeth due to disease or trauma to the mouth, such as that incurred in an accident or assault.
- Multiple pregnancies have caused extensive damage to the teeth due to hormonal changes that activate the gastric reflux response.
- Teeth have become extremely worn due to acid erosion, typically due to a poor diet and/or acid reflux.
Having even one of these issues can impact your ability to receive proper nutrition, cause poor tooth alignment that makes keeping your teeth clean challenging, and make you feel self-conscious about the appearance of your smile.
Dental Insurance Coverage for Full Mouth Restoration
Insurance companies typically cover root canals, treatment for gum disease, tooth extraction, and other medically necessary procedures. However, if you combine cosmetic with restorative procedures, be sure to check on your coverage ahead of time because you may not have coverage for teeth whitening and related cosmetic enhancements.
Steps Involved in Full Mouth Restoration
If you feel that your natural teeth have become unusable, the first step is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jenny Kardaris at New Age Dental Care. Dr. Kardaris will ask about your dental and medical history, including current and past medications, treatments, and surgeries. She will also inquire about lifestyle habits that could affect oral surgery outcomes, such as smoking or frequently consuming acidic foods.
Dr. Kardaris will then inspect your teeth and gums and take several X-rays to aid in treatment planning. She will also take impressions of your teeth and send them to our laboratory. The technicians create a three-dimensional digital mockup with the scans and impressions.
When your 3D mockup comes back from our lab, you return to our dental practice to review it and discuss the treatment plan created by Dr. Kardaris. Your full mouth reconstruction may consist of any of the following:
- Dental implant placement
- Extraction of one or more teeth
- Orthodontics
- Periodontal treatment, which typically includes root planing and scaling
- Placement of crowns, fillings, or veneers
- Root canal treatment
- Treatment for temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
Once you have agreed to your treatment plan, you will undergo one or more restorative dentistry procedures. Remember that you may need to wait several weeks to months between certain treatments to give your mouth a chance to heal.
Please reach out with additional questions about full mouth restoration in Chesterfield, MO, or to request an appointment.
