A prosthodontist is a dentist that has had additional years of schooling and training in order to attain additional skills. These skills are geared towards replacing missing teeth and restoring natural function and cosmetic appearance to the mouth. This enables a prosthodontist to be adept at many dental procedures which they can combine masterfully when they are working with a patient that needs a full mouth reconstruction.
But even a prosthodontist can’t do it all. Sometimes part of the full mouth reconstruction may require saving some teeth with endodontic treatment, moving teeth with orthodontics, or restoring lost bone tissue in order to place dental implants. In situations such as these, the prosthodontist will work with other dental specialists to orchestrate a full mouth reconstruction.
Saving Teeth With Endodontics
In complex dental cases that require extensive cosmetic dentistry, some of the teeth might be salvageable, and depending on the treatment plan, could be saved instead of being extracted. These teeth may have some decay that goes all the way to the tooth pulp and require root canal therapy. For this, the prosthodontist may team up with a root canal specialist (an endodontist) in order do this part of the treatment. At North Andover Dental Partners for example, the dental office has an endodontist on staff that can provide this type of support.
Moving Teeth With Orthodontics
When multiple teeth are missing, teeth can start shifting as a result. This can create gaps where none were before or brings teeth closer together across a gap preventing the placement of a dental implant. Some forward and backward tooth movement may also be necessary in order to create a more cohesive and consistent smile.
Usually in cases like these Invisalign® is not enough and the prosthodontist will team up with a local orthodontist they can trust in order achieve the desired tooth movement. Once the teeth are moved into proper position the mouth is ready for the actual restoration.
Tooth Extraction and Bone Restoration With a Periodontist
When a patient needs a full mouth reconstruction, there may be some teeth that require additional skill to extract. A periodontist or oral surgeon may be brought in to do these extractions. North Andover Dental Partners teams up with an in-house periodontist for the convenience of their patients so that they don’t have to travel to another dental office for the extractions.
Due to tooth loss often being associated with patients that need full mouth reconstructions, the bone levels in the mouth may be lower than ideal for placing dental implants. When a tooth is missing, the body starts absorbing the bone the tooth used to be implanted in since it’s not longer being used. When the prosthodontist wants to place a dental implant at the site the bone levels need to be built up first. This is where the periodontist’s specialty comes in.
The periodontist can also treat any gum disease that’s present in the mouth in order to provide the dental implants and restorations the best chance off surviving.
If you are looking for a cosmetic dentist for a full mouth reconstruction near North Andover, we would be honored if you entrusted your dental care with our prosthodontist and their support team of specialists. As the before and after pictures and positive online review can attest, you will be in good hands.