Full Mouth Reconstruction Candidates By Danny O'Keefe D.D.S. on June 22, 2012

Simply stated, full mouth reconstruction is a popular procedure consisting of one or more restorative dental treatments to improve the health of your smile by restoring the function, strength, and stability of your gums and teeth. Both the teeth in the lower jaw and upper jaw are restored during full mouth restoration. While the main focus of full mouth reconstruction is to improve the function of your smile, there are often many cosmetic benefits as well. Many of our Jackson full mouth reconstruction patients experience an instant improvement in the aesthetics of their smiles just by correcting dental imperfections and restoring the health of their gums and teeth.

Full Mouth Reconstruction Candidates

Since the health and function of the teeth are the primary focuses of full mouth reconstruction, virtually everyone is a good candidate for the procedure. Dental issues that can be improved and corrected during full mouth reconstruction include missing teeth, fractured teeth, severe tooth erosion, worn teeth, uneven teeth, misalignment, advanced periodontitis, and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues.

Tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss are three of the most common reasons that patients undergo full mouth reconstruction. Tooth decay is the result of a build-up of plaque on the teeth. Plaque is formed when acids, food particles, saliva, and bacteria in the mouth combine. When plaque is not promptly removed from the teeth, it will slowly eat away at the tooth’s surface, causing decay. Over time, the acids within plaque will cause a cavity to form. Gum disease (periodontal disease) is an infection affecting the bones and tissues that support and surround the teeth. It can inflict mild to severe damage on the teeth and gums. There are three stages of gum disease: gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis. We can treat all three stages during full mouth reconstruction. Tooth loss is the complete loss of one or more teeth. For our patients with tooth loss in Jackson, dental implants are a superior method of replacing missing teeth.

Most commonly, Jackson full mouth reconstruction patients experience pain when biting down and difficulty when speaking or eating. Full mouth reconstruction is a very involved process that usually requires multiple visits to our dental office and can take a year or more to complete.

Full Mouth Reconstruction: Dental Examination

The first step in any dental treatment is a comprehensive dental examination. This process involves x-rays, and usually requires impressions to be made of your upper and lower teeth. The focus of this examination is to determine the best treatments for your full mouth reconstruction. During this thorough dental examination, our Jackson cosmetic dentist Danny O’Keefe looks for receding gums, bone loss, loose teeth, shifting teeth, dental caries, wear in the teeth, tooth decay, cracks and chips in the teeth, missing teeth, TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues, and a multitude of other dental issues. Because each and every patient is unique, the only way to determine which treatments will be included in your full mouth reconstruction is to schedule an examination.