Smile Makeover

As the needs of every patient are different, no two full mouth reconstruction or smile makeover treatment plans are the same. Some of the most commonly included treatments are:

• Dental implants: Secured directly into the jaw, dental implants’ posts replace missing dental roots and provide unrivaled support for crowns, bridges, and dentures. For patients who have lost jawbone tissue as a result of missing teeth, we may recommend a preliminary bone graft or sinus lift to provide enough bone for implants and encourage bone regrowth. The process by which dental implants join with your jawbone to create a stable platform for implant restorations is called osseointegration. The implant stimulates new bone tissue formation that wraps tightly around the implant for stability.
• Sinus lift: Your upper jaw near your molars and premolars loses bone material as you age. During a sinus lift or sinus augmentation, we add bone material between your jaw and maxillary sinuses located on either side of your nose. The main purpose of a sinus lift is to add bone density so that dental implants can be placed into a strong, secure foundation.
• Dental crowns and bridges: A more affordable alternative to dental implants, a dental crown or dental bridge can address damaged or missing teeth. Crowns and bridges are supported by your natural teeth rather than titanium implant posts. With an in-house CEREC® machine, we can take impressions, craft and place an all-porcelain dental crown in about one to two hours. We use bridges to replace missing teeth. Dental bridges are typically two dental crowns and a false tooth called a pontic. The crowns fit over teeth directly adjacent to the space left by the lost tooth, thus bridging the gap and restoring bite and chewing function.
• Dentures: While bridges can replace one or two adjacent missing teeth, dentures can replace an entire upper or lower dental arch. Full dentures replace all of your upper and lower teeth, while partial dentures can be used to replace several missing teeth and restore proper bite and chewing function. Depending on your budget and needs, a denture may either attach to dental implants (implant-supported dentures) or rest directly on your gums. Wearing dentures requires a brief adjustment period until your jaw and mouth muscles adapt to the new appliance so you can speak and eat normally. You may feel as if you have a mouth full of marbles at first, but this feeling will improve with each passing day as your mouth adapts to the new appliance. Soon you will be eating and speaking normally.
• Tooth-colored fillings: Made of a tooth-colored composite mixture, tooth-colored fillings can restore decayed or damaged teeth. The composite resin we use as filling material can be color-matched to blend with your smile. Unlike old-fashioned dental fillings that were made from silver or other metal amalgams, these new dental fillings are tooth-colored and match your teeth perfectly so no one will know you’ve had dental fillings.
• Periodontal disease prevention and treatment: Since untreated gum disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis can severely weaken your oral health, periodontal treatment is a powerful tool, particularly for full mouth reconstruction. Depending on the severity of your gum disease, your dentist may recommend special oral hygiene techniques or deep cleaning to remove bacteria.
• Root canal therapy: If decay reaches the innermost portion of your tooth, our dentist can perform root canal therapy to remove the source of the infection and eliminate your pain. Afterward, we can place a dental crown over the tooth to restore function and protect it from re-infection. Despite what many people think, today’s root canal therapy is a relatively painless, comfortable procedure that actually eliminates your toothache pain.

After evaluating your smile, your dentist can recommend the treatments most appropriate for your smile makeover or full mouth reconstruction needs. If necessary, we may also suggest mouth guards to prevent teeth grinding (called bruxism) or wisdom teeth removal to ease overcrowding in your jaw.