A patient by the name of Ron came to us, who suffered from a number of missing teeth. He also had several teeth that had also reached a point of near decay, and several more that were failing because decay was well underway. He contacted us for two reasons. One, he wanted to know why so many of his teeth had failed, and he also wanted to know if we could do a full mouth reconstruction that would be as medically sound as it was cosmetic. He did not want to lose any more teeth, and he did not want to have to repeat trips to the dentist. He was also rather afraid that a full mouth reconstruction may involve a great deal of pain, as he knew very little about this procedure, and was quoted as saying that anything involving the word reconstruction sounded like it involved major surgery, and therefore pain, in the process.
We assured him it did not. A full mouth reconstruction is not the same as the type of reconstructive work that people often have performed when they are in an accident and lose tissue, muscle, or bone. Instead, a full mouth reconstruction is a complete rebuilding of a white, straight smile. It does not involve cutting into tissue, but rather uses dental implants to replace missing teeth, and dental crowns and inlays to repair partially destroyed teeth. In this cosmetic dentistry procedure, there are no drilling or metal-based fillings used, either. Everything is done with materials that are sculpted to the surfaces of teeth to provide either a direct mimic of their original color, or an improved, whiter appearance.
Cosmetic dental implants are used to replace missing teeth, and provide the strongest assurance against any future deterioration of bones and gum tissues. Implants are made from a special titanium alloy that is safe to integrate into the existing bone and reside in the human mouth. The only time that they cannot be used is when the patient suffers from such a severe case of periodontal disease that the gums cannot accept the presence of a metal implant. However, this was not the case with Ron.
In his case, the high number of damaged and missing teeth had been caused by years of Bruxism. This was the direct results of suffering from sleep apnea for over 10 years. While a sleep-related breathing disorder may seem unrelated to the need for a full mouth reconstruction, the simple reality is that anything that consistently wears down the enamel can make so many teeth vulnerable to decay. However, even in severe case like we saw with Ron, the sad results of lost and dying teeth are not irreversible. In almost every case like his, we can restore the smile with a full mouth reconstruction that looks as good, if not better, than the first.
Specifically in treating Ron, we used a procedure that involved placing implants in the upper and lower arches of his mouth. These implants, along with his remaining natural teeth, provided support for fixed porcelain bridges and crowns. Although this full mouth reconstruction took almost 7 months to complete, the before and after photos clearly show how remarkable the results were. Ron now says his new smile makes him feel 20 years younger now,and in some ways, look younger too.
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