Are you in need of a full mouth reconstruction? When dental issues are severe and extensive, encompassing many or all of your teeth, you may be an ideal candidate for a full mouth restoration. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is a Full Mouth Reconstruction?
Your mouth is made up of hard tissues like your teeth and jawbones, as well as soft tissues like your gums, tongue, cheeks, and lips. A full mouth reconstruction addresses multiple issues with different parts of your oral anatomy. Issues that are commonly addressed include, but are not limited to:
- Damaged teeth
- Missing teeth
- Jaw/bite misalignment
- Damaged gums
- Jawbone damage
- Worn out dental work
These conditions can severely compromise dental health. If not corrected, they will continue to worsen, and often lead to a chain reaction. For example, a jaw or bite misalignment can cause damage to your teeth, damaged teeth that are not corrected lead to missing teeth, and so on.
What Procedures Are Included in a Full Mouth Reconstruction?
A full mouth reconstruction may include numerous dental procedures. Depending on your particular needs, you could experience any of the following:
- Restorative dental procedures. These include fillings, crowns, bridges, inlays, and onlays.
- Dental implants. When a tooth is missing or damaged beyond repair, an implant can be used to replace it. An implant is a titanium screw anchored to the jawbone and topped with an artificial tooth.
- Cosmetic treatments. Teeth whitening, veneers, dental bonding, and gum recontouring are all cosmetic procedures to improve the appearance of your teeth and mouth.
- Neuromuscular dentistry/TMJ treatment. This addresses jaw and bite issues to correct misalignment or inhibited mobility of the jaw.
- Bruxism correction. Bruxism is teeth grinding, which plagues many people. There are remedies to prevent and correct the effects of bruxism.
- Orthodontics. Orthodontic treatments include traditional braces, Invisalign, and other procedures to realign teeth.
- Oral surgery. Tooth extraction, root canals, and tissue grafting are just a few of the procedures that may be performed by an oral surgeon.
- Periodontal procedures. These include scaling (deep removal of plaque), root planing (thorough gum cleaning to treat gum disease), and a variety of periodontal surgeries.
In the case of a full mouth reconstruction, your treatment may include any combination of the above procedures.
How Much Will It Cost?
The cost of a full mouth reconstruction varies according to the current condition of your teeth, your goals for treatment, and the specific procedures that are selected. We will provide an itemized treatment plan following your comprehensive evaluation.
What About Dental Insurance?
Dental insurance is highly complex and often confusing. We will help you understand your policy, including which procedures are covered, your deductible and annual cap on benefits, and your projected out of pocket costs. We may be able to break your treatment plan into several phases to maximize your insurance benefits.
Advantages of an All-in-One Treatment Provider
At Smiles on the Upper Westside, we provide a complete range of dental services all under a single roof. Benefits of visiting an all-in-one treatment provider include:
- Lower overall cost. When you avoid bouncing from office to office for various treatments, the total cost of your procedures tends to be less.
- Convenience. Don’t waste time commuting all over town to different dental offices.
- Simpler insurance billing. Your procedures can be billed to your insurance all at once from one office for easier management.
- Avoid specialist fees. Different dental specialists may have different fees and your insurance may require higher copays for specialists.
- Establish relationships. It may ease your mind to get to know your dentist and other dental providers on staff at one location. You’ll know what to expect and see the same friendly faces at each visit.
Smiles on the Upper Westside Provides Comprehensive Dental Treatment
When you need a full mouth reconstruction, Smiles on the Upper Westside can handle your complete transformation from start to finish. Contact us today to start your journey toward a brand new smile: 212-222-5225.
Halitosis, or bad breath, is extremely common but quite embarrassing. Most cases, such as “morning breath” are short-lived and easy to treat with excellent oral hygiene. For stubborn bad breath that cannot be fixed with brushing, flossing, and mouthwash, it is important to see the dentist as soon as possible.
Common Causes of Chronic Bad Breath
Many factors can contribute to chronic bad breath. These include:
Gum disease: Most adults have at least mild gum disease, making it easy for food debris to get trapped in the pockets around the teeth. As this trapped debris decays, it will begin to smell.
Cavities and cracked fillings: Cavities and cracked fillings leave a hole in the tooth for food particles and bacteria to enter. These particles will decay, leading to unpleasant odors.
Poorly fitted dentures: Dentures that are poorly fitted or are not properly cleaned can cause food to get trapped between the gums and the dentures, leading to decay and chronic bad breath.
Dry mouth: Saliva naturally cleans the mouth, keeping the breath fresh throughout the day. Many people do not produce enough saliva, though, which can cause odors to develop. Chronic dry mouth is caused by many medications as well as issues with the salivary glands.
Occasionally, chronic bad breath is a symptom of physical illness. If your dentist rules out all of the above causes, you may need to be checked for certain diseases:
- Chronic acid reflux
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Oral yeast infection
- Respiratory tract infection such as bronchitis
- Sinus infection
Treating Chronic Bad Breath
Since chronic bad breath is a symptom rather than a separate condition, treating the cause will also alleviate the bad breath. Depending on what is found, you may need gum disease treatment, an antibiotic, a filling, a medication change, a denture adjustment, or some other action.
Integrative medicine is a modern approach to treatment that brings multiple specialists together to treat a problem. If you have chronic bad breath due to a physical illness, your doctor and dentist may work together to treat both the disease and the symptom.
Preventing Bad Breath
Prevention is always the best solution, so make a new commitment to your oral health. Brush and floss your teeth twice every day, and have a professional cleaning twice per year. Have any needed dental work done, and commit to dealing with future problems as soon as they arise.
Chronic bad breath can be frustrating and embarrassing, but most of the time, it is easy to treat. Seeing your dentist as soon as possible is the best way to restore your mouth to a healthy, fresh state.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are looking for compassionate, highly individualized, cutting-edge dental care in New York City, contact Smiles on the Upper Westside today at 212-222-5225 to schedule your first appointment.
Cosmetic dentistry focuses on the appearance of your smile, rather than its health or functioning. It is not considered strictly necessary from the point of view of oral and physical health, but cosmetic dentistry can have a dramatic impact on your self confidence, boosting your psychological and emotional wellbeing. Here’s how.
Social Life
Humans are social creatures. Research shows that social isolation tends to lead to depression and anxiety. Yet if your smile is unattractive, you might start to steer clear of strangers, friends, and even relatives. Cosmetic dentistry allows you to talk, smile, laugh, and eat in front of others without worrying about having your teeth judged. As you become more outgoing, people will be drawn to your positive attitude. This encourages you to socialize more, further boosting your self confidence.
Appearance
Right or wrong, modern society is highly appearance-conscious. A beautiful smile makes you look more radiant, youthful, and healthy. Cosmetic dentistry can erase years from your appearance and make you feel comfortable enough to shine the light you have kept locked away. As you begin to recognize your own attractiveness, your self confidence will naturally explode.
Career Benefits
A winning smile builds rapport, whether you are going for a promotion, meeting an important client, or applying for the job of your dreams. People perceive those with a wide smile as genuine, loyal, trustworthy, and motivated. Hiding your teeth behind a tight grin has the opposite effect, making you come across as untrustworthy and insincere.
A genuine smile is infectious. Your employer and clients will feel happier and begin to smile back. This can take your career to the next level, boosting your self confidence.
Overcoming Trauma
A problematic smile may stem from a birth defect or a traumatic occurrence. Cosmetic dentistry can help you heal by helping you reclaim your self worth and personal power. You can move past your trauma, embracing the future with a beautiful new you.
What to Expect
Cosmetic dentistry begins with a detailed analysis of your current smile. We will sit down with you to understand your needs, goals, and desires, and then design the smile you have always wanted. If you have any underlying oral health issues, we must treat those before we begin your smile makeover. Please note that depending on your existing smile and your treatment goals, we may recommend several procedures with healing time in between. However, our patients say that their new smiles are truly worth the investment.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are looking for compassionate, highly individualized, cutting-edge dental care in New York City, contact Smiles on the Upper Westside today at 212-222-5225 to schedule your first appointment.
No one likes to think about it, but first impressions matter. Whether you are interviewing for a job or out on a first date, a stunning smile makes you look sincere, confident, and trustworthy. Sadly, many people’s teeth do not look their best. If yours are stained, crooked, yellowed, or worn down, porcelain veneers can help. Here’s how veneers can improve your smile.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Very thin shells of high-quality dental porcelain that slip over your teeth, porcelain veneers can be color-matched to your natural teeth. They are strong and durable, and are chemically bonded onto your teeth for maximum stability. With proper care, porcelain veneers can last for years.
What Conditions Can Veneers Fix?
If you have existing dental health issues such as gum disease or tooth decay, they must be addressed before veneers are placed. Porcelain veneers are a cosmetic treatment that can fix numerous issues with teeth that are healthy but unsightly, including:
Wear and tear: Teeth naturally wear down over time. Yours may wear down faster than usual if you use your teeth as a tool or are fond of chewing on ice or pens.
Minor breakage: A sports injury, a fall, or other light trauma such as a fall or a sports injury can case teeth to crack or chip. While extensive damage must be fixed, porcelain veneers can hide minor breakage.
Discoloration: Many people have deep staining or discoloration from excessive fluoride, root canals, large fillings, or even certain medications. If teeth whitening cannot correct your dental discoloration, porcelain veneers can hide it.
Misshapen or uneven teeth: Truly perfect teeth are extremely rare. If yours are misshapen or uneven, porcelain veneers can improve their appearance.
Minor crookedness or gapping: If your teeth are badly misaligned, you may need orthodontic treatment. However, porcelain veneers are an excellent way to hide minor crookedness and small gaps.
Are Porcelain Veneers Permanent?
Though few dental restorations last forever, porcelain veneers are one of the longest-lasting solutions. They are designed to withstand the forces of biting and chewing, and they can easily last for more than a decade with proper care.
Porcelain veneers also resist staining. Teeth whitening must be repeated regularly, but excellent oral hygiene will keep your porcelain veneers bright and healthy-looking.
Do Porcelain Veneers Look Natural?
You might be concerned that porcelain veneers will give you a too-white “game show host” smile, but veneers are designed to appear highly natural. The dental porcelain mirrors the sheen and translucency of natural teeth, and we will color-match your veneers to the adjacent teeth.
If you want a brighter smile, we can whiten your teeth first and then match your veneers to your new tooth color. Just remember that to maintain the match, you must whiten regularly.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are looking for compassionate, highly individualized, cutting-edge dental care in New York City, contact Smiles on the Upper Westside today at 212-222-5225 to schedule your first appointment.