Full mouth reconstruction involves restorative dental work to help your smile look and feel normal again. This could include several different procedures including dental implants, dental bridges, inlays, onlays, or dental crowns. Restoring your smile is important to both your appearance and your mouth’s function.
But who qualifies for a full mouth reconstruction? These procedures aren’t for every patient, but certain patients do need a full mouth reconstruction based on what their oral health situation is. From patients who are missing several teeth to patients with no teeth, here are the top candidates for full mouth reconstruction.
People with Tooth Loss from Trauma
If you’ve had an accident or trauma to your mouth area that’s led to tooth loss, you could be a candidate for full mouth reconstruction. Top candidates include those that have injured teeth, which include fractured or chipped teeth. Your dentist may choose to correct these with dental crowns, or if you’re missing the entire tooth, dental implants will likely be a better option for you.
Patients with Extensive Tooth Decay
If you have extensive tooth decay throughout your mouth, you may qualify for full mouth reconstruction. Your dentist will attempt to save your natural teeth, if possible, but this may require more than just fillings. Your teeth may require dental crowns, inlays, or onlays to protect your teeth from future decay. While inlays are generally used for larger cavities where a simple filling would be ineffective, onlays can help preserve tooth structure by filling in missing cusps of your teeth.
People with Extremely Worn Teeth
Your teeth were meant to last your entire life. However, sometimes poor oral hygiene or bad habits can lead to excessively worn teeth. This can come from habits such as bruxism (teeth grinding) or conditions such as enamel erosion. Enamel erosion can happen from acid reflux or from having a poor diet high in sugar and carbohydrates. When teeth are extremely worn down or damaged, your dentist may suggest a full mouth reconstruction.
Patients with Tooth Loss from Gum Disease
Gum disease—if left to progress—will eventually attack the ligaments that anchor your teeth in your jaw. This will lead to symptoms such as bleeding gums and loose teeth. If gum disease is advanced, you can ultimately lose your teeth. If you have tooth loss from gum disease, you may be able to get a full mouth reconstruction to help restore your smile!
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)
These disorders commonly affect the jaw and the muscles that control the jaw, but they can also affect your bite and teeth wear. Symptoms of jaw muscle pain, ongoing jaw problems, poor bite, and headaches could all point to a TMD. You may qualify for a full mouth reconstruction if orthodontics is unable to correct your bite or joint pain!
Your smile is one of the most important things about you. It gives you the confidence to smile and speak, it helps you chew food, and it keeps your facial structure intact to prevent an aging appearance. Talk to your dentist to see if you’re a candidate for a full mouth reconstruction. Life’s too short to go without a beautiful smile!
