Treatments / Everyday dentistry
Full Mouth Rehabilitation
Where teeth have worn down, broken or been lost over years, treating them one at a time rarely holds. Full mouth rehabilitation plans the whole bite together, restoring height, function and appearance in a sequence that is worked out before anything is started.
Who this is for
- Heavy wear from grinding, acid erosion or age
- Several failing crowns, bridges or old restorations at once
- A bite that has collapsed after multiple teeth were lost
What actually happens
- Full records: photographs, scans, models and a bite analysis
- A staged plan showing the order of treatment and what each stage achieves
- Any surgical or periodontal groundwork first
- Restoration in planned phases, with the bite reassessed at each one
Who it is for, and who it is not for
Full mouth rehabilitation is for a mouth where several problems have built up together: teeth worn short from grinding or acid, a number of crowns or fillings failing at once, missing teeth that have let the others drift, or a bite that no longer meets evenly. Fixing one tooth at a time in that situation tends not to hold, because each new crown is built against a bite that is still wrong.
It is not for someone with one or two problem teeth. If a filling, a crown or a single implant will do the job, that is what you should be offered.
How the plan is made
It starts with records: photographs, X-rays and often a CBCT scan, impressions or a digital scan of both jaws, and a check of how your jaw joints and chewing muscles work. The bite is studied, and the height the teeth have lost is worked out.
Anything underneath is dealt with first. Decay, gum disease, root canals, extractions and any bone work come before the final crowns, because a new crown on an unhealthy tooth or gum does not last.
Before your own teeth are prepared, the planned shape and bite are usually tried out first, with a mock-up or temporary teeth, so you can see and feel the result and it can be adjusted. You get the plan in stages, with the cost of each stage in writing, and some people choose to do it in phases over a longer period.
How long it takes
Usually months rather than weeks. A plan built on crowns and bridges on your own teeth is shorter than one that needs implants, because an implant has to settle into the bone before the final teeth go on. Gum treatment or a bite splint before starting adds time too.
In most cases you are not left without teeth in between. Temporary crowns or a temporary denture are normally fitted while the permanent work is being made.
Looking after it afterwards
A rebuilt bite lasts best when whatever caused the damage is dealt with. If you grind your teeth at night, a night guard is usually made to protect the new crowns. Regular check-ups and cleaning matter too, because a crown can fail at its edge if decay or gum disease starts there.
Where the plan includes implants, how implant treatment runs, stage by stage explains the healing time that sits in the middle of it.
Denture and full-mouth cases are handled by Dr. Shourya, our prosthodontist.
Questions people ask
Is full mouth rehabilitation the same as a smile makeover?
Not quite. A smile makeover is mainly about how the front teeth look. Full mouth rehabilitation rebuilds how the whole mouth works, including the bite and chewing, and the appearance improves as part of that. Some cases need both.
Does full mouth rehabilitation always involve implants?
No. Many cases are done with crowns, bridges and fillings on your own teeth. Implants come in where teeth are missing and the plan needs something to replace them.
Will my bite feel different afterwards?
For a while, yes. Where the height of the teeth is being restored, the new bite is tried in temporary teeth first, so your jaw muscles can get used to it before the permanent crowns are made.
How much does full mouth rehabilitation cost?
It varies too much from one case to another for a single figure to mean anything. The number of teeth involved, whether implants or bone grafting are needed, and the materials chosen all change it. You get the cost in writing, stage by stage, after the examination, and there is no obligation to go ahead.
