Why Full Mouth Reconstruction
A full mouth reconstruction is recommended when you have a collapsed bite. This means that your teeth are not properly meeting together and not properly supporting the lower third of your face. Your teeth may be worn, they may be lost, or they may just not be coming together properly. As a result, your teeth may be painful, your jaw may hurt when you bite and chew, you may have chronic headaches, and your face can look sunken and imbalanced.
With older techniques, where the mouth is restored one tooth at a time, it takes multiple visits, the old collapsed bite is duplicated, and the appearance of the face is not improved. Neuromuscular Dentistry allows Dr. Nehawandian to establish the most comfortable bite position using computerized neuromuscular technology. This includes tools to measure the movement and function of the jaw, including determining the stress in your muscles. We also use T-Scan, a digital tool that shows us exactly how much force your teeth are subjected to as you bite down. This allows us to ensure that every system from your muscles to your teeth are all working together in balance.
Dr. Nehawandian has received extensive training in full mouth reconstruction at LVI . It can dramatically improve your bite as well as the appearance of your smile and your face.
Full Mouth Reconstruction for TMJ
One of the most common reasons why people seek full mouth reconstruction is temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ). TMJ has many causes, but one of them is when your bite is out of harmony with your jaw joints and muscles. Your jaw muscles can’t find a comfortable rest position. In trying to find a comfortable rest position, your muscles are working against your bones, teeth, cartilage, and other structures. This can damage your jaw joints, but the most visible casualties of this condition are your teeth.
When TMJ leads to this type of bite problem, your teeth can show visible cracks. They can chip. They may wear down. They can erode at the gumline. They may even crack open, exposing the living pulp inside the tooth, which can mean the tooth will have to be extracted.
Full bite reconstruction allows us to establish a bite that holds your jaw in a comfortable resting position. Your muscles will be more relaxed, you won’t experience pain when biting, chewing, or clenching your teeth. And your teeth and restorations won’t be worn down.
Full Mouth Reconstruction for Decay or Trauma
On the other hand, you may have had a healthy bite in the past, but other circumstances have undermined it. In a healthy bite all your teeth work together to divide the stress, but if one tooth is damaged by decay or trauma, it can no longer uphold its part of the load. Other teeth are asked to bear a disproportionate share. Other times, a restoration might be put in place that shifts the load disproportionately to other teeth.
This can lead to damage to those teeth, or you may develop compensatory habits, or both. As a result, your bite can get more and more out of balance.
A full mouth reconstruction can be used to restore your bite to its former state, giving you a beautiful, healthy smile again.
You don’t have to settle for an unhappy smile, we can help you get the smile that you want. Call us today at (408) 354-5600 or e-mail us online.
