Full Mouth Restoration Requires Comprehensive Planning
Performing a full mouth restoration involves careful planning, coordination of treatment across a variety of dental specialists and collaborative efforts of multiple participants working toward an end goal. A number of procedures and treatment options can be incorporated into a full mouth makeover case, and can range from periodontal procedures and implant dentistry to oral surgery and orthodontics, among other specialties. A crucial component of full mouth restoration is the comprehensive planning required to create the directory for treatment. This blueprint of the treatment plan as a whole is the sum of the individual parts working towards achieving a healthy oral environment that is esthetically pleasing and functional for the patient.
Preparation and Detailed Exam: The Core of Full Mouth Restoration
Patients who require or are interested in a full mouth makeover often have an end result in mind, or an idea of how they would like their smile to look. However, underlying oral health concerns surrounding the teeth, gums and jaw bone may be blocking a direct route to esthetic improvement, and must also be addressed within the planning and treatment phases of full mouth restoration. An initial consultation involving the patient and the dentist leading the treatment occurs to address the patient’s desires for the final outcome. During this visit, a comprehensive, detailed examination is typically performed by the dentist to gauge the current state of the patient’s oral health. A complete medical history and review of medications also takes place, as systemic health factors may have some bearing on how the course of treatment advances.
What Does the Comprehensive Exam Address?
The comprehensive exam will evaluate many aspects of the oral and overall health of the patient. Factors such as oral infection, decay, tooth damage, missing teeth and others must be assessed and prioritized prior to beginning the full mouth makeover. Examination of the following structures and needs of the individual helps determine how treatment will progress:
Periodontal Health: The gums and bone supporting the teeth make up the foundation of the mouth. When these structures are compromised due to periodontal disease, the teeth become at risk for mobility and subsequent loss if the disease is not treated and controlled. For these reasons, any periodontal needs are often targeted first, before any other restorative or esthetic procedures take place. The foundation must be healthy to support any future treatment outcomes. Once the gum tissues are rendered healthy, additional components of full mouth restoration treatment can proceed.
Condition of the Teeth: The health and structural condition of the teeth must be evaluated. Any areas of decay, damage (such as breaks, chips, fractures or wearing of enamel) are documented, as are the need for root canals and tooth extractions. Saving teeth is the ultimate goal of dentistry; however, if keeping a tooth is not an option, oral surgery procedures may be necessary to restore oral health.
Missing Teeth: Teeth rely upon one another to help hold their positions in the mouth. When a tooth is lost, tooth alignment has great potential to be negatively impacted, as the teeth naturally tend to drift into open spaces. Replacing missing teeth to meet both functional and esthetic needs is an integral part of full mouth restoration for many people. Options for tooth replacement include dental implants, bridges and partial or full dentures.
Tooth Alignment and Bite Function: If the teeth are overcrowded, have diastemas (spaces between the teeth) or are otherwise malpositioned, orthodontics may be recommended within the full mouth makeover treatment plan. Teeth that are out of alignment can cause oral complications, such as wear and chipping of the tooth structure, tooth decay and gum disease. Orthodontics also help correct discrepancies in the way the upper (maxilla) and lower (mandibular) teeth fit together, which can improve the patient’s biting function.
TMJ Functioning: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an important structure for the eating, speaking, yawning and swallowing abilities of a patient. Lying on either side of the head and connecting the lower jaw bone (mandible) to the skull, the TMJ is the most widely used joint in the body. The condition of the TMJ, therefore, is important to the patient’s overall oral health, and can present current and future problems if issues concerning this structure are not addressed. Proper TMJ functioning must be restored to achieve and preserve the goals of the full mouth restoration treatment plan.
Esthetics: Although patients are concerned about the health of their teeth, gums and jaw bone, esthetics are largely a driving factor when seeking a full mouth makeover. Esthetic procedures work to improve how the teeth, gums, facial structure and smile line appear, and how this appearance affects the person’s confidence and self-esteem. Esthetic procedures often incorporated into a full mouth makeover treatment plan include porcelain veneers or crowns, dental implants, orthodontics, gum recontouring and teeth whitening.
Once the teeth, gums, jaw bone, TMJ and patient’s esthetics concerns have been assessed, the full mouth restoration treatment plan is laid out in stages, with one procedure building upon the next. Other dental specialists whose services may be integral in carrying out the treatment plan will be involved as necessary.
Involving the Patient’s Physician
When the comprehensive exam is complete and the details of the entire full mouth restoration mapped out, the next step is to contact the patient’s physician(s). Procedures that are invasive to the gum or bone tissues may require special permission from a physician if the patient’s overall health warrants it as such. Those taking blood thinners or bisphosphonates, or individuals who have hemolytic conditions, experience difficulty with healing or are immunosuppressed may not be candidates for certain procedures or may require closer supervision by a physician during treatment phases. Involving the patient’s medical doctor may be necessary at various stages of treatment.
Can Your Needs Be Met With Full Mouth Restoration?
A full mouth restoration treatment plan can be designed to meet individual needs and smile goals. If you have suffered tooth loss, multiple areas of tooth damage or decay, or other effects that have impacted your teeth, gums or jaw bone, you may be a candidate for full mouth makeover procedures. Contact your dentist today to schedule your personal consultation.