Ready for a Smile Makeover? See if Full Mouth Reconstruction Is Right for You.
Recover a beautiful, healthy smile through full mouth restorative dental care.
Our smiles can go through a lot as we grow older. Accidental injuries, battles with tooth decay and gum disease, and simple wear and tear can leave your once full smile with missing or damaged teeth. Tooth enamel can’t heal, and missing teeth certainly don’t grow back. But this doesn’t mean you have to be permanently unhappy with your smile either. Full mouth reconstruction allows dentists like Dr. Staley to give patients like you a smile they are proud of again.
What is full mouth reconstruction?
Full mouth reconstruction is a personalized restorative dentistry treatment plan that uses multiple procedures to completely restore a patient’s smile. Full mouth reconstruction is also known as full mouth restoration or a restorative smile makeover.
The main difference between full mouth reconstruction and a cosmetic smile makeover comes down to what the patient needs. Patients with missing or damaged teeth undergo a full mouth reconstruction because they first need to restore proper oral health and function. The cosmetic benefits are all still there, of course—they’re just not the primary reason for treatment. Patients who already have healthy teeth and only want a visual change undergo a cosmetic smile makeover.
Essentially a full mouth reconstruction is a treatment plan designed to restore and strengthen a patient’s smile by salvaging damaged teeth and replacing missing ones. The end goal is for patients to complete treatment with a full, beautiful smile and an optimal level of oral health they can easily maintain.
Who is a candidate for full mouth reconstruction?
Anyone who dreams of a better smile without damage or gaps is a candidate for full mouth reconstruction. However, certain restorative procedures that may be part of full mouth reconstruction can impact candidacy. A common example of this is dental implants.
Dental implants are Dr. Staley’s favorite prosthetic tooth replacement and are equally loved by patients. Modern dental implants have a shockingly high success rate, and the vast majority of patients heal without complications. That being said, dental implants are invasive, requiring both oral surgery and a lengthy healing period. So if you have medical conditions that may negatively impact healing or increase your chance of infection, they must be carefully considered.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean that dental implants are completely out of the question. Dr. Staley goes over everything you need to know during your initial evaluation. This includes reviewing your medical history and any medical conditions that may hinder your dental implant candidacy. Together you will discuss the most successful treatment options based on your health and individual needs.
How is full mouth reconstruction accomplished?
Full mouth reconstruction treatment plans all vary from patient to patient depending on factors such as health, finances, and included procedures.
Generally speaking, a typical full mouth reconstruction is broken down into four phases.
Phase 1: Consultation & Treatment Planning
Your very first appointment with Dr. Staley is a consultation. He will perform a thorough evaluation of your smile and discuss what he sees. You’ll have digital X-rays taken and get to see what’s going on in your mouth through high-quality pictures captured with our intraoral camera.
Together you and Dr. Staley will talk about your smile goals and which treatment options will work best. Dr. Staley will then put together your optimal treatment plan and begin scheduling your next appointments.
Phase 2: Treatment Appointment(s)
Once your smile blueprint is formed and any underlying oral health issues such as tooth decay or gum disease are addressed, the next phase is the actual full mouth reconstruction. This may be completed within a single appointment or spread into multiple appointments. For example, dental implants may require two appointments (or three if a bone graft is needed first). Other restorative options like partial or complete dentures may also need two appointments.
Phase 3: Healing & Recovery
After your treatment appointments, you’ll head home for some rest and relaxation. Dental implants take a few months to fully heal, while other procedures, like dental crowns, heal relatively quickly.
Phase 4: Post-Treatment Checkup
After a few weeks, Dr. Staley will have you come back for a post-treatment checkup. If you had dental implants placed, you may not be fully healed yet, but it is still important to check in and make sure you’re healing properly.
After a month or so, we like to see patients once again to ensure everything is looking great and continuing to heal as it should.
When can full mouth reconstruction treatment begin?
The simple answer is whenever you want it to!
Beginning your journey to a fully restored smile begins with coming in to see Dr. Staley for a consultation. There we also provide an accurate cost estimate so you can plan out your finances and see which procedures your dental insurance covers.
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Staley today.
Ready to schedule your consultation?
You can call our downtown Boise office during our normal business hours to schedule your appointment. Or to book on weekends or outside our normal hours, you can fill out our online booking form here. We look forward to helping you restore your smile!