What If I'm Afraid of the Dentist?
Dental phobia is a common, and very real, problem for many patients who need full mouth reconstruction. Years of avoiding professional dental care due to dental anxiety, stress, or phobia can result in deteriorated oral health. Regardless of your oral health condition, if you don't like dental visits, tell your dentist.
Don't allow being afraid of the dentist to stand between you and optimal oral health.
Today, anxious dental patients have access to nitrous oxide (laughing gas), anxiolysis (oral sedation), oral conscious sedation (nitrous oxide with oral sedation), and IV sedation (intravenously administered drugs). These sedation options can make an anxious or extremely phobic dental patient find peace of mind and body during dental procedures. Don't allow being afraid of the dentist to stand between you and optimal oral health.
Does Full Mouth Reconstruction Hurt?
With modern dental anesthetics and sedation, no dental procedure has to hurt. Your dentist will recommend the appropriate level of medication for your comfort. Some patients experience short-term oral discomfort following a procedure. Your dentist may suggest over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers to take after treatment, for your comfort.
What If I Have a Sensitive Gag Reflex?
Tell the dentist if you know that you have a sensitive gag reflex, clinically known as laryngeal spasm. The dentist can take measures to reduce your risk for gagging, and to optimize your comfort.
What If Local Anesthetic Doesn't Work for Me?
If you know that local anesthesia does not sufficiently numb your mouth, tell your dentist during your initial consultation so that he or she can note your chart accordingly. The dentist can administer nitrous oxide, oral sedation, or oral conscious sedation to keep you comfortable during dental treatments.
What If My Back Pain Won't Allow Me to Sit in a Dental Chair for More than a Few Minutes at a Time?
Discomfort in the dental chair is a common issue, but it can be easily overcome with medication. Nitrous oxide, oral sedation, or oral conscious sedation can help you remain comfortable.
Can Special Needs Patients, including Alzheimer's Patients, undergo Full Mouth Reconstruction?
Yes. If your general dentist believes that you would be better suited under the care of a doctor with more experience treating special needs patients, he or she may refer you to a respected colleague. Often, a dentist administers sedation so that a special needs patient can comfortably undergo treatments for full mouth reconstruction.
How Long Will Full Mouth Reconstruction Last?
The longevity of treatment results will depend greatly upon your oral health, overall health, oral hygiene, and compliance with doctor's instructions. Dental materials are also a factor. Porcelain veneers, for instance, may last two decades or more; dental bonding to correct the same issue may only last five to ten years.
Will Full Mouth Restoration Address My Jaw Pain and Stop My Headaches?
If you suffer from chronic migraines, headaches, pain in the jaw, head, neck, shoulders, or back, tell your dentist. He or she can assess your occlusion and jaw joints to determine whether TMJ disorder (TMD) is causing your symptoms and incorporate appropriate treatment into your plan.
How Can I Stop Grinding My Teeth during My Sleep?
Habitual teeth grinding is clinically known as bruxism and is a common affliction: according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, an estimated 10 million Americans suffer from the condition.
Over time, teeth grinding takes a toll on teeth by wearing down molars or causing chips and fractures. Therefore, bruxism should be treated so that the results of full mouth reconstruction are preserved. A simple oral appliance called a mouth guard can prevent teeth grinding, but the underlying cause should also be treated.
Do Kids Ever Need Full Mouth Reconstruction?
Children can require full mouth reconstruction. Common causes are baby bottle mouth (decay across front teeth) and injury. A child who needs full mouth reconstruction should see a pedodontist (children's dentist).
What Will Happen If the Dentist Finds Oral Cancer in My Mouth?
Oral cancer is a serious and common disease that can affect people with no high-risk factors. If your dentist finds cause for an oral biopsy, he or she may refer you to an oral surgeon. Rest assured, your dentist will answer all of your questions and explain next steps if you ask.
What Will Happen if I Have Gum Disease?
Your dental hygienist or dentist will suggest appropriate treatment, based on your level of gum disease. Also called periodontal disease, gum disease is a chronic condition that has no cure, but it can be treated.
Early gum disease is known as gingivitis, and few symptoms are expressed. In fact, some patients with gingivitis experience no symptoms. Treating gingivitis may simply involve changing your oral homecare routine and using special mouthwash. However, a deep cleaning may also be suggested if gingivitis has progressed.
Gum disease is a chronic condition that has no cure, but it can be treated.
Deep cleaning takes a few hours and is often performed in two visits. It involves scaling, which is removing hardened plaque (tartar or calculus) from below the gum line, and root planing, which is smoothing rough areas on teeth roots. If you have periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease, you may need surgery. Often, a general dentist will refer patients with periodontitis to a periodontist for treatment.
Do Dentists Use Laser Surgery during Full Mouth Reconstruction?
Some, not all, dentists employ lasers for minimally invasive dental and periodontal procedures. A soft tissue laser can treat periodontitis, reduce gum tissue for cosmetic purposes, and perform biopsies. Hard tissue lasers can prepare teeth for restorations, clean a tooth's root canal, and trim bone tissue. Patients tend to heal promptly following laser surgery, and lasers offer an unparalleled level of precision.
