Planning for a Full Mouth Restoration
If you have several bad teeth and need your whole mouth restored, you can count on the fact that you’ll probably need to have more than one type of treatment to get you there. For full mouth restoration in Mesa, we’ll combine various dental procedures to properly restore, balance, and improve the function of your smile.
Finding the Best Dentist
If you know that you’ll need to have extensive dental work done, before you go to the dentist check to see if they’re able to provide full mouth restorations and reconstruction. These types of treatments often include dental implants, extractions, or possibly even dentures, which not all Mesa dentists perform in their practices.
The internet is a great place to begin your search for the perfect dentist. Read their scope of practice, patient reviews, and look through any before and after photos of full mouth reconstruction cases as possible. If you feel comfortable with what you see, then the next step would be to call and schedule a consultation.
The Consultation
When the day of the consultation arrives, you should be able to go into your appointment without holding anything back. This is the time when your Mesa dentist needs to hear all of your concerns regarding your mouth, and what your ultimate goals are.
Be prepared to get several x-rays taken of your teeth, digital photographs, and possibly impressions or 3-D scans, as well as a screening for gum disease. We’ll also gather background information on things that can affect the treatment decisions that we make. For instance, do you grind your teeth, are you a smoker, do you drink a lot of soda, or is your oral hygiene poor, and what is your overall health like? These questions will allow the dentist to make a proper diagnosis on each tooth and be able to construct a plan that’ll provide you with your desired results.
For your consultation appointment you can plan on being at the office for about 90 minutes or so. Have any insurance information readily available so that you can also discuss financial information related to your care plan.
The Process Takes Time
The compromised state of your mouth didn’t happen overnight; the process to rebuild your entire mouth is no different. Carefully timed stages of care are important to ensure that your restoration process is completed correctly. A lot of the wait may actually be time where your mouth is healing before we’re able to move on the next step. This is especially true when we’re talking about dental implants and extractions.
If you’re on a time limit for your full mouth reconstruction to be completed, let our Mesa dentist know right away. Keep in mind that rushing things may not give you the best results, so it’s best to have plenty of time on your hands and be patient with the process.
Consider Sedation During Lengthy Treatments
Sometimes full-mouth restoration involves multiple or lengthy procedures that require extra trips to the dentist’s office. Some people get nervous about going in or have a hard time sitting still for these longer visits. Being anxious is completely normal and our Mesa dentist wants you to feel as relaxed as possible.
It may be possible to use some dental sedation during your planned procedures. While we’ll always use local anesthesia to numb the areas being worked on (to ensure that you don’t feel any pain,) being still in a chair for an extended period of time is difficult for some people.
Fortunately, dental sedation can help put you at ease. You’ll be able to relax, and possibly even take a nap while you’re here. Feeling sedated will also help our dentist be able to work more efficiently and quickly.
Common types of sedation that are available include options like nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral conscious sedation (taking a pill), and IV sedation. The strength of the sedative is based on your preferences and which type of treatment you need.
Great Results from a Dentist You Know and Trust
Since there are so many steps involved in a full-mouth reconstruction process, it can be difficult for people to understand exactly what’s going on each step of the way. Knowing that you’re in the hands of one of Mesa’s best dentists will help you feel relaxed and confident about them doing what’s best for your smile.
To find out more about what Dr. Vinh Huynh, DMD and the team at Eastport Dental in Mesa can do for you, give us a call to request a consultation. We look forward to meeting you!
