Full-Mouth Reconstruction in Wayne, NJ

In Northern New Jersey, 1 in 10 adults aged 65 years and over have had all of their teeth extracted. This may be due to several factors, including disease, decay, trauma, or a combination of these conditions. If your teeth are missing or damaged beyond repair, it can be profoundly difficult to maintain your quality of life. At Fine Dental Care, we can perform full-mouth reconstruction to improve your oral health, bite function, and smile aesthetics. Full-mouth reconstruction is a transformative treatment option that rebuilds your mouth by restoring or replacing all your teeth.

What Is Full-Mouth Reconstruction?

Full-mouth reconstruction, sometimes called full-mouth restoration or rehabilitation, is a comprehensive dental treatment that restores or replaces all teeth in both your upper and lower jaws. We typically recommend this procedure to individuals who have experienced severe dental damage, extensive tooth loss, or various oral health issues that affect multiple teeth. Full-mouth reconstruction often involves a combination of treatments, which may include dental crowns, bridges, dental implants, dental fillings, root canals, gum treatments, and more.

The goal of this process is to enhance both the function and appearance of your teeth and overall oral health. It’s a highly customized approach, and the specific treatments used depend on your unique needs and oral condition.

Who Needs Full-Mouth Reconstruction?

If you have extensive damage to your teeth or are suffering from tooth loss, full-mouth reconstruction may be right for you. This procedure addresses a wide range of dental concerns, including:

  • Multiple missing teeth
  • Extensive decay
  • Several cracked or broken teeth
  • Substantially worn teeth due to bruxism or erosion
  • Loose, worn, or broken restorations
  • Gum disease

If you are experiencing one or more of these issues, a complete reconstruction can help you regain your quality of life. Our goal is to repair any damaged teeth that can be saved, extract and replace the ones that can’t, and fill in existing gaps due to tooth loss.

Treatment Options

Full-mouth reconstruction is a solution to a complex problem. It requires the expertise of a seasoned dentist to design and implement. With nearly 40 years of experience, Dr. Fine will skillfully design a personalized treatment plan that aligns with your dental needs, goals, preferences, and budget. Depending on your circumstances, he may use a combination of procedures to fully restore your bite. Learn more about some of the common treatment options below.

Mini Dental Implants

Dental implants replace missing teeth. Mini dental implants are a smaller alternative to traditional dental implants. Mini implants often form the basis of full-mouth reconstruction due to their versatility. They can replace one tooth with a crown, multiple teeth with a bridge, or all of your teeth with dentures. Their narrow, single-piece design makes them suitable for many patients, including individuals with a narrow jawbone. Additional benefits of mini implants, compared to bulky traditional implants, include:

  • Minimally invasive procedure: The procedure to place a mini implant is much simpler than the placement of a standard implant. Requiring only a small pilot hole in the gum similar to what is done for earrings, you can expect reduced disruption to surrounding tissues and a much more comfortable experience.
  • Immediate results: One of the most important advantages of mini implants is their immediate strength. Unlike standard implants that require months of healing before the final restoration can be mounted, mini implants can immediately support the restoration. This allows you to have instant, functional results.
  • Speedy recovery: Due to their small size and minimally invasive placement, mini implants allow for a quick recovery and immediate functionality. Most patients return to their normal activities in just 24-48 hours.
  • Durability: While both types of implants are made of durable titanium, a mini implant is often more long-lasting because it uses a single-piece design. In contrast, a standard implant has multiple components that create micro-spaces where bacteria can accumulate.
  • Cost: A mini implant is half the cost of a standard implant, making it more affordable to our patients.

If you are missing teeth, we often incorporate mini dental implants into your treatment plan.

Crowns

Dental crowns restore damaged teeth. We use crowns on teeth that are decayed, broken, worn, or weak, as well as those that have been treated with a root canal. These caps surround the entire visible portion of your tooth. They not only conceal visible flaws but also create a protective barrier to prevent further damage to the tooth. By maintaining the tooth’s structural integrity, we can often prevent the need for extraction. While a fundamentally restorative treatment, tooth-colored crowns can also enhance the appearance of your teeth.

Bridges

Dental bridges restore function to areas affected by one or more missing teeth. A traditional dental bridge is a row of connected crowns supported by the natural teeth beside the gap. To place a traditional bridge, we must remove enamel from these neighboring teeth so the bridge can rest on top of them. While this procedure effectively closes the gap in your smile and helps strengthen your bite, it also puts pressure on healthy teeth, which can damage them over time.

On the other hand, implant-supported bridges or single-crown mini implants are often a better choice for replacing teeth as they are much more durable and often less expensive.

Dentures

If you are missing all of your teeth or your teeth need to be extracted due to severe damage or decay, dentures can help. Traditional dentures are removable appliances that are supported by your lower jawbone or the roof of your mouth. While these improve your chewing ability and enhance your smile, there are better options.

At Fine Dental Care, Dr. Fine specializes in mini implant dentures. These full-mouth dental implants anchor a denture or what’s known as a roundhouse bridge. This full arch of artificial teeth looks incredibly natural and offers superior stability and durability. Mini implant dentures come in removable, semi-removable, and non-removable options, giving you flexibility in choosing a restoration that suits your preferences and budget.

The Reconstruction Process

The process for a full-mouth reconstruction begins with a consultation. At this appointment, we will discuss your concerns, review your full medical history, and examine your teeth and mouth. We will also take a 3D scan and X-rays. This information helps us determine the best solutions for you and design your personalized treatment plan.

Because full-mouth reconstruction is highly customized, the details of your treatment journey will depend on the procedures you need to fully restore your teeth’s function. For example, crowns and tooth-supported bridges require preparation. For these treatments, we must first shape your natural teeth by removing some enamel.

With most treatments, we use local anesthesia to numb the surrounding area so that you are comfortable throughout the procedure. The specific details of your visit will depend on the severity of your case and the types of treatments Dr. Fine will use to restore your mouth. No matter what, your comfort, satisfaction, and oral health are our main priorities.

Full-Mouth Reconstruction vs. Smile Makeover

Patients often ask about the difference between full-mouth reconstruction and a smile makeover. These treatment approaches mainly differ in their purpose. A smile makeover is primarily cosmetic, focusing on enhancing the appearance of your teeth and smile. It typically includes procedures like Invisalign, teeth whitening and veneers to address aesthetic issues such as staining, misalignment, or gaps between teeth.

While a smile makeover is something you may want in order to achieve a beautiful smile, full-mouth reconstruction is something you need in order to restore your mouth’s function. Full-mouth reconstruction is a restorative treatment that goes beyond enhancing your smile’s appearance. However, many restorative options available today also provide cosmetic enhancements, naturally improving your smile by addressing damage and filling gaps left by missing teeth.

Both smile makeovers and full-mouth reconstructions require the expertise of a skilled and experienced dentist like Dr. Fine. The choice between the two approaches depends on your unique dental needs and goals.

Reveal Your New Smile with Full-Mouth Reconstruction

Full-mouth reconstruction is a comprehensive dental procedure that restores oral health and function. It addresses complex issues such as tooth loss, damage, and other oral health concerns through various treatments. If you are suffering because of your oral health, Dr. Bruce Fine can help.

Dr. Fine is a highly experienced, dedicated, and award-winning dentist. He has the knowledge, skills, and advanced techniques necessary to provide a wide range of dental solutions, ensuring that patients not only regain optimal oral health but also enjoy the benefits of a beautiful and functional smile.

If you think you may need full-mouth reconstruction, request your consultation with Dr. Fine today.