There are times when a simple “quick fix” won’t do, and all of the teeth in an arch must be replaced. This is termed a Full Mouth Reconstruction, that may or may not require full mouth implants. This requires not only a knowledge of surgical implant dentistry, but a knowledge of how the entire mouth and jaws function.
Before we begin placing multiple dental implants as we plan a full mouth reconstruction, we must first determine what the final teeth, or full mouth reconstruction, will look like and how we will get there. Often this means comprehensive investigation with the temporary teeth – how long should they be? How far out or in? What shape? What color? Are you comfortable with your full mouth reconstruction?
Once this is determined, then we can start planning where to place your multiple dental implants and how many to use; we don’t always have to use full mouth implants, sometimes merely multiple dental implants will do. Too often implantologists place implants where the bone is without regard to where the teeth will be in the full mouth reconstruction, resulting in a compromise of comfort, speech or cleansability.
Implant dentistry has moved on from the classic method for full mouth reconstruction with full mouth dental implants, but we will examine the classic method first, as it is still the most cost-effective means of achieving our goals.
First, the remaining teeth are extracted, infections cleaned out and a temporary denture placed on the same day as the extractions – NO ONE EVER LEAVES THE OFFICE WITHOUT TEETH!
After a healing period of 1-3 months, the function of the denture is evaluated. This will be the template for the forthcoming full mouth reconstruction, generally with full mouth implants, but sometimes only with multiple dental implants. Is your speech good? Are you comfortable? Do you like the way you look? If not, a new denture may be fabricated. Only when all these questions are answered yes can we proceed and take a CAT scan. We take the CAT scan while you are wearing the denture with x-ray markers to show us on the x-ray where the full mouth implants should be placed. A surgical guide is then fabricated to facilitate precise placement of multiple dental implants, or even full mouth dental implants if necessary.
The implants are allowed to heal for 3-6 months, at which time impressions are taken for the full mouth reconstruction, using the temporary teeth as a guide. The total time for the classic technique takes between 15-24 months, depending on the particularities of your mouth.
With the advent of greater understanding and diagnostic techniques, we can shorten the time necessary to go from start to final full mouth reconstruction to as little as 6-8 months in some cases. In doing this we take a CAT scan right away and plan out the temporary teeth as closely as possible from before we take out any teeth, and have a fixed temporary planned out before we take out any teeth. We take out the teeth and place full mouth dental implants (or multiple dental implants, if desired) the same day, and put the temporary teeth on the implants right away, so you leave the office with teeth that don’t come out from the first day! After a healing period of 3-6 months, the full mouth implants are impressed and the full mouth reconstruction is inserted. The total time to do this is form 6-10 months, depending on the case.
Find out if full mouth reconstruction, full mouth dental implants or multiple dental implantsi n NYC are the right solution for your tooth loss and decay. Contact us now to schedule an appointment and look ahead to your full and healthy smile.
To learn more about full mouth reconstruction in NYC, full mouth dental implants in NYC and multiple dental implants in NYC, or alternative options, or to book an appointment for a treatment plan, we welcome you to contact the Dental Implant Center NYC at 212-799-6900.
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