Many patients who had given up on having the smile they wanted have found hope in having full mouth rehabilitation. After restoring their mouths to healthy function and appearance, patients typically report receiving many benefits, such as improved diet, fresher breath, increased self-confidence, and a brighter smile.
What is Full Mouth Rehabilitation?
Full mouth rehabilitation is the process of restoring the health of your teeth, gums, and mouth. If you have multiple dental problems, your dentist can eliminate gum disease, tooth decay, and bite imperfections for a new smile that can restore self-confidence.
Each full mouth rehabilitation case is different and requires a precise, customized treatment plan. The process begins with a comprehensive exam that can include the following:
- Digital dental x-rays.
- 3D images with a Cone Beam Scanner.
- Intraoral and extraoral photographs.
- Periodontal exam.
- Occlusal (bite) evaluation.
- Models of your teeth.
The information gathered during the exam helps your dentist evaluate the details of your smile and how your teeth fit together. These details include how much your teeth show when you talk and smile and also when your lips are resting. Spaces between your teeth and gums and the overall structure of your gums are also considered when creating your treatment plan.
Five Signs That You Need Full Mouth Rehabilitation
Almost everyone experiences a dental problem during their lifetime, such as a cavity, chipped tooth, or dental infection. These are usually managed in a few appointments by your dentist. But for various reasons, your mouth may have multiple and complicated issues that require a more complex approach to restore your mouth’s appearance and health. Five signs that indicate that you need full mouth rehabilitation include:
- You have short, worn-down teeth. Although tooth enamel is exceptionally hard and durable, they wear down with age. However, some teeth get worn down prematurely due to clenching and grinding, excessively eating hard foods, habits such as ice chewing, or consuming acidic food and beverages. Worn teeth can affect your appearance and how your teeth bite together.
- You have multiple missing teeth. About half of all Americans are missing at least one tooth, and forty million are missing all their teeth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), severe tooth loss (having eight or fewer natural teeth) impacts a person’s ability to eat a healthy diet. Common reasons for missing multiple teeth include trauma, periodontal disease, and tooth decay.
- You have chronic jaw pain and fatigue. TMJ disorders can occur due to imperfections in your bite, worn and broken teeth, and bruxism. Jaw pain, stiffness, and fatigue are symptoms that your dentist can help with by restoring your teeth, gums, and bite to health and harmony.
- You have severe periodontal disease. The number one cause of tooth loss in adults is periodontal disease. It is also a common reason that people need full mouth rehabilitation with dental implants. Although gingivitis is reversible with oral hygiene and professional teeth cleaning, the effects of periodontal disease, including bone loss, are irreversible.
- You have experienced trauma to your mouth. Automobile accidents, sports, and falls can break, move, or knock teeth out. Traumatic injuries often require many different types of dental treatments as part of full mouth rehabilitation.
The Types of Procedure
Full mouth rehabilitation often utilizes many types of dental procedures to accomplish the goal of giving your oral health a fresh start. Your treatment may include a combination of the following:
- Dental fillings
- Crowns
- Onlays or inlays
- Fixed dental bridges
- Veneers
- Bonding
- Scaling and root planing
- Periodontal surgery
- Bone grafts
- Root canal therapy
- Crown lengthening
- Bone grafts
- Orthodontics
- Mouth guard or night guard
- Dental implants
- All-on-Four implants
The Role of Implants in Full Mouth Reconstruction
Dental implants can significantly improve the outcome of full mouth rehabilitation for patients missing several teeth because of their many benefits. These benefits include:
- Anchoring crowns and bridges to the bone for a fixed restoration instead of a removable one.
- Preserving remaining bone in the jaws. Maintaining a sufficient amount of healthy bone is critical to successful full mouth rehabilitation. Implants stimulate bone and prevent further bone loss.
- Preventing the shifting of remaining natural teeth. Movement of these teeth could alter your bite and jeopardize other restorative treatments.
- Protecting remaining natural teeth. Implants can help your dentist avoid preparing some teeth for fixed bridges. When possible, this option allows you to maintain as much natural tooth structure as possible.
- Providing a more natural look, feel, and function. Patient satisfaction is typically very high with dental implants because of the chewing efficiency they provide. Additionally, their appearance and how they feel are unmatched when compared to other options.
- Allowing easier maintenance. Excellent oral hygiene is critical to the success of full mouth rehabilitation. Implants can help you achieve this easier than other appliances.
Factors that Affect Recovery After Getting Dental Implants
It is normal to have some discomfort, minor swelling, and light bleeding for a day or two after getting implants as part of your full mouth rehabilitation. Over-the-counter medications usually manage these issues within several days. However, you should contact your dentist for an evaluation if you have severe pain, swelling, or bleeding.
Full mouth rehabilitation may require additional procedures to facilitate implant placement. These procedures and other factors can prolong the total time you spend recovering from surgery and affect how your dentist manages your postoperative care. The factors influencing your recovery can include the following:
- Sinus lift surgery. If you lack sufficient bone in your upper jaw, especially around your bicuspid and molar teeth, you may need a sinus lift. This procedure moves your sinus membrane upward to make room for the implants. A sinus lift may be needed if you have naturally large sinuses or bone loss due to periodontal disease or from your teeth being extracted in the past.
- Bone grafting. Bone grafting is often done with a sinus lift procedure or in other areas where you lack the bone to support a dental implant.
- Tooth extractions. Your dentist will save all possible teeth as part of your full mouth rehabilitation. However, some teeth may not be restorable due to tooth decay or gum disease. Only teeth with an excellent long-term prognosis will be retained as part of your overall treatment.
- Number of implants. The number of implants you need to support the necessary restorations can affect the number of surgeries and your recovery.
Schedule an Appointment
To learn more about how you can benefit from full mouth rehabilitation with implants, contact us online or call us.