Patients that are in need of a full mouth reconstruction often have one or more teeth missing and the dental issues that happen as a result. With some teeth missing, other teeth can shift or overextend in ways that make full mouth reconstructions tricky. To handle a complex full mouth reconstruction, often a prosthodontist, like the one at Natick Dental Health, or other highly experienced cosmetic dentist is needed. This expert may not be able to do it all alone, however.
When doing a full mouth reconstruction, a prosthodontist or cosmetic dentist, sometimes refer the patient to an orthodontist for part of the treatment. In order to restore the mouth without removing healthy teeth that are not positioned optimally for the full mouth reconstruction, the teeth need to be repositioned. Here are some scenarios in which the teeth need to be moved:
- Closing the gap between teeth – If teeth have drifted too far apart or if a unhealthy tooth had to be extracted, creating a gap, the the teeth may need to be brought together using orthodontics in order to hide the gap. If a dentist were to restore the teeth in their current position the restorations would have to be unnaturally large in order to fill up the space.
The gap can also be closed slightly if the dentist is thinking of doing a dental bridge and wants to ensure the teeth are close enough so that the bridge doesn’t overextend. - Creating more of a gap between teeth – If the dentist wants to fill up an empty space in the jaw with a dental implant and crown but the gap between the teeth isn’t big enough, the orthodontic treatment can open up the gap enough to allow the placement of a dental implant and crown.
- Moving teeth forward or backwards – The dentist working on the full mouth reconstruction may instruct the orthodontist to move teeth forwards or backwards in order to create a more even arch for restorations such as dental veneers.
If you are looking for cosmetic dentist near Natick that does full mouth reconstructions, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation at Natick Dental Health. The dental office is highly rated and awarded ‘Top Dentist’ by Boston Magazine for the past two years.