Different Teeth, Different Needs: How Full Mouth Rehabilitation Works

The fastest and least expensive way to accomplish full mouth rehabilitation (which is the replacement or restoration of all adult teeth) is a set of full dentures. Though the results are practical, standard removable dentures lack the occlusal bite force of natural teeth or more comprehensive dental restorations. They also may not be entirely successful in achieving a natural look. Yet your own dental concerns may mean that a full mouth rehabilitation must be arranged with some urgency. Aside from dentures, what are your options?

A Multidisciplinary Approach

Depending on the number of intact teeth in your dental arches and the health of those teeth, your dentist and their team may opt for a multidisciplinary approach, integrating different forms of treatment. If you're comprehensively edentulous (toothless), the best results are achieved with implant-supported dentures. 

A Full Set of Implant-Supported Teeth

These supported dentures require a series of dental implants in your upper and lower jawbones (as little as four to support an entire arch of teeth), with a bespoke denture for each jaw then permanently attached by way of these implants. Implant-supported dentures have far more bite force than their detachable versions, and the implantation offers more integration, meaning that these dentures cannot physically slip or move out of position. This means they look and feel infinitely more natural than typical dentures. But what about when you have some intact teeth remaining?

Dental Bridges for Gaps

Multiple treatment modalities can be used to reconstruct an entire dental arch. You're likely to need some form of dental prosthesis to replace any missing tooth (or teeth). This can involve a single tooth implant, but when you have one or two adjoining missing teeth, a dental bridge can be a practical option. This involves the teeth on either side of the gap being reinforced with dental crowns fitted over their exterior structure, making them abutment teeth. Dental pontics (false teeth) can be strung between the crowns, with these abutment teeth supporting the weight of your bridge.

Restoring the Size and Shape of Teeth

Other teeth may have intact root systems but have lost some of their physical mass to decay. These can be restored to their full size and shape with porcelain crowns, even if the teeth don't need to serve as abutments for a dental prosthesis. This lengthens the overall crown of the tooth, restoring their vertical dimensions if the teeth have been worn down over the years.

There are as many different forms of tooth restoration as there will be teeth in your mouth by the time your dentist has finished. Each tooth may need a different form of restoration to achieve the final result—a complete, healthy-looking and entirely functional set of teeth. To read more on full mouth rehabilitation, contact a professional near you.