What Is Full Mouth Rehabilitation
While it might sound like a complicated procedure, a full mouth rehabilitation is just a term that refers to a combination of different dental treatments needed to get your mouth back up at its best health possible.
If you are wondering if a full mouth rehabilitation is for you, we can help you out. This is what you need to know.
Reasons for a Rehabilitation
There are many different reasons that a patient might need to have a full mouth rehabilitation. These include:
- Tooth loss
- Tooth damage
- Worn-down teeth
- Jaw, muscle, and headache pain
You might have lost your teeth to decay, periodontal disease, or even an accident, but that does not mean that you have to live without those teeth for the rest of your life. This is where the full mouth rehab comes in.
The Process
Your path to oral rehabilitation begins with a consultation with your dentist. Your dentist will be able to perform a thorough and comprehensive exam to determine how extensive of a rehab is needed to get your mouth back to its ultimate oral health. This exam will include:
- X-rays: These will be used to see what is going on below the surface of the teeth as well as whether there is any decay to worry about.
- Gum health: Combined with perio charting, your dentist and hygienist should be able to determine whether you need periodontal root planning before your rehabilitation. Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. You would not want to go through extensive treatment if the foundation of your teeth is weak. Root planning is required when there has been tartar and bacterial build up below the gum line, creating spaces between the tooth and the gums. This will all need to be considered before any other treatment is performed.
- History: Your dentist will also go over your dental health history with you. Together, you can look at whether you have lost any teeth as well as what treatments that you have already had done. If you are missing teeth, replacement is likely to be in your treatment plan.
- Appearance: Beyond your oral health, if you are not happy with your smile, we can help with that. A rehabilitation will take into consideration the color, shape, and the size of your natural teeth and compare them with your ultimate goal of a smile.
- Jaw: If your teeth have been worn down or you experience jaw pain, rehabilitation might take into consideration what can be done to help your jaw heal properly.
Rehabilitation vs Smile Makeover
If you are thinking that a rehabilitation sounds like a smile makeover, you are not wrong. But there is one major difference between the two types of procedures. A smile makeover is actually cosmetic, improving the appearance, size, and even the color of your teeth. A smile makeover does not include restorative dentistry, however. Veneers and crowns are not the same thing as dentures and root canals.
That does not mean that you cannot have a smile makeover along with your full mouth rehabilitation. With the construction of your new teeth, you will see the positive changes in your smile that you were hoping for while still allowing your teeth to have the functionality that you deserve to live your life to the fullest.