Have you been lazy about your dental care and after years you’re seeing the effects? Maybe you have suffered an illness, or been on medications that have played havoc on your teeth. You may be familiar with cosmetic dentistry treatments such as veneers, dental implants, tooth whitening, etc., and you may think that they are single treatment options, and they are. But a full mouth rehabilitation, for reasons such as those listed above, can combine several treatment options to reconstruct your smile.
What Is A Full Mouth Rehabilitation?
A full-mouth rehabilitation can also be called a full mouth reconstruction, smile makeover, or full-mouth restoration and it restores the function and aesthetics of every tooth in the upper and lower jaw. It can involve several cosmetic procedures including dental implants, veneers, crowns, dental bridges, tooth bonding, tooth contouring, teeth whitening, gum lifts, and occlusal correction. Teeth makeovers are recommended for patients with worn, damaged, and/or missing teeth. Patients with severely damaged teeth, those suffering from temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and those with worn down teeth due to bruxism (clenching and grinding) are also good candidates. Damaged dentition can affect your health by impacting your bite and your ability to chew, and therefore choose healthy foods. If your damaged dentition is due to poor oral health, then your overall health could be compromised. A full-mouth rehabilitation improves the look, but also the health of your smile.
This Chicago client had very dark teeth from taking tetracycline for acne. She had crowns done 4 years earlier but was was very disappointed with the fake look of her crowns. She got several independant referrals from other dentists to come to Dr. Fondriest. Her long drives north to Lake Forest were worth it to get a new transformed smile. These crowns were created out of the newest version of zirconium.
Are you a candidate for a makeover?
To determine whether a patient is a candidate for full-mouth rehabilitation, Dr. Fondriest will examine the look and function of your teeth, gums, and jaws, gather your dental history and check for neuromuscular issues. The examination will likely include x-rays, photographs, impressions of your teeth, and a bite model. This information will be used to determine the extent of the problem, and to develop a step-by-step treatment plan.
Treatment Options
Depending on the situation, each area of the mouth may require several different procedures such as occlusal correction, fillings, crowns, veneers, dental implants, professional dental whitening, bonding and contouring, and gum lifting.
Occlusal Correction:
Dental occlusion refers to how the chewing services of your teeth fit together, or your bite. If the occlusion needs correcting neuromuscular dentistry is used to measure and determine the optimal position of the patients jaw. Once the appropriate position is determined, the patients jaw can be corrected with an orthotic. This type of orthotic is a dental appliance that fits over the top of the lower teeth to reposition the jaw.
Dental Veneers:
Veneers are a wafer thin dental material fabricated to match your original tooth color. Veneers are bonded to the surface of your teeth to brighten your smile, correct gaps or spaces, straighten crooked teeth, smooth jagged edges, and cover stains. They yield dramatic improvements in esthetics.
Dental Implants:
A permanent, stable, and durable treatment option for missing teeth, dental implants consist of titanium post inserted into the tooth socket in the jawbone. Due to a biochemical reaction, the titanium fuses with the bone creating a natural root. The post is and is topped with a natural looking porcelain crown fabricated to match the surrounding natural dentition.
Professional Whitening:
Dental whitening can be performed in-office, or at-home, using clinical-strength whitening systems.
Bonding and Contouring:
Bonding is a cheaper and quicker way, as opposed to veneers, to correct jagged edges, gaps and spaces, cracks, chips, discolorations, and stains. A composite resin material designed to match surrounding dentition is applied and shaped. It will be almost as hard and durable as the original tooth. Contouring consists of reshaping the teeth by lightly grinding them down if they are jagged, misshapen, or too large.
Improving gum health and visual symmetry
Gum Lifts
A gum lift is often done when too much gum shows in your smile. Most gum lifts are done by periodontists who specialize in this procedure. The medical term for this surgery is crown lengthening or perio-plastic surgery. The periodontist will reshape and remove the excess gingival tissue during a gum lift procedure so it is proportionate to the tooth.
Periodontal Health Issues
Frequently clients that require a full mouth rehabilitation have had some gum problems. After recovering from periodontal disease, the gumline is left uneven or asymmetrical. Black triangles or spaces might be visible between the teeth. Fixing all of these issues is added to the plan for treating the entire mouth in an organized thoughtful way.
Conditions That Might Warrant A Full Mouth Rehabilitation
The following are some symptoms that might indicate that you could be a candidate for full mouth rehabilitation:
- Systemic disease that causes damage to many teeth (Example: Celiac disease)
- Heavy tooth wear, chipped, or cracked teeth
- Dental restorations that continue to crack, chip, or break
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Painful or sore jaw joints
- Temporomandibular joint disorder
- Pain in the face, neck, shoulders, and upper back
- Stiff or limited movement of the jaw
- Locking jaw or a jaw that makes clicking or grating sounds
- Unexplained numbness in arms and fingers and Arms
- Undiagnosed plugged ears
- Vertigo
Learn more about the possibilities of a Full Mouth Rehabilitation
Would you like to replace your old dentistry with life-like crowns? We have caring, compassionate, and knowledgeable staff, and we proudly serve patients from Chicago and all surrounding communities. To schedule your consultation, call our office today at (847) 234-0517.
Dr Fondriest is a Nationally recognized and highly sought after cosmetic dentist serving clients from throughout the United States