Aesthetic and Reconstructive Dental Surgery 

by: Arthur Glosman DDS

The human mouth is a very sensitive area. Even for those of us with fantastic genes, for reasons like poor hygiene, external physical trauma, or even self inflicted physical trauma (i.e. grinding), our mouth can become a source of poor self image, low confidence, and/or varying degrees of pain. When a person is afraid or unwilling to smile as result of their teeth’s appearance, or further when a person’s mouth is causing them persistent pain, then something must and can be done to remedy the situation. Just as an athlete’s injured knee can be reconstructed to normal function, so can the various problems of a person’s mouth through reconstructive dental surgery.

Makeup of a Full Mouth Reconstruction

A full mouth reconstruction is an aesthetic, necessary procedure (or series of procedures) that a person with any number of oral dilemmas can have done to give or return to them a smile they can be proud to display everyday of their life. Similar to a smile makeover, the intended end result is an aesthetically pleasing smile that feels as great as it looks. The key difference is that a full mouth reconstruction is a necessary procedure often due to one or many issues in the mouth and may require the work of other dental specialists in addition to your cosmetic dentist’s work. 

What Can I Expect Out of My Full Mouth Reconstruction?

First and foremost is understanding that, depending on your particular set of problems, you will need to have many dental visits and patience as your reconstruction takes place. It is not uncommon for a full mouth reconstruction to take upwards of 12 months time to finish. It will all be based on your situation. Your cosmetic dentist will thoroughly examine and discuss with you what will need to be done in order to achieve your ideal smile so that a proper treatment regimen may be custom-built and tailored for you. Always make sure that the described plan is crystal clear to you so that you may best understand potential risks and lengths of the treatments involved. Remember, the benefactor here is you, and it’s important that you’re comfortable with what is being done to you.

Potential Issues and Their Resolutions

When gums are found to be in poor health, it may be necessary to be referred to a periodontist for scaling and/or laser treating of your gums, possibly even grafting in healthy bone and soft tissue to provide a sturdy support system for your new smile. For misaligned bites and jaw issues, orthodontia or surgery on the facial muscles may be required in order to set them right. These procedures would most likely also see you referred to a specialist in each respective treatment.

Once all the necessary and relevant referral groundwork is complete, your cosmetic dentist will be able to craft your new smile. If your cosmetic dentist had originally found that your teeth have excessive cavities and/or decaying roots, were poorly aligned or misshapen, were out of place and/or even missing, then you may require procedures like porcelain veneers, dental implants, dental bridges, perhaps even inlays or onlays in order to resolve them. It is this stage that can be most aesthetically crucial as now your teeth, arguably the most important aspect of any smile, are to be adjusted and fashioned by your cosmetic dentist to create the smile you have dreamed of. It is important that the cosmetic dentist you’ve selected is artistic and well enough trained in cosmetic dentistry to perform the procedures necessary as these qualities will play a major role in your smile’s outcome. When all is said and done, what’s important is that your new smile leaves you feeling pain-free, confident, and satisfied every time your use it.

Dr. Glosman DDS is a practicing aesthetic and reconstructive dentist located in Beverly Hills California. You can read more about him in the Summer 2009 Cosmetic Dentist Review at Dr Arthur Glosman Featured Cosmetic Dentist Review or visit his website at www.arthurglosmandds.com

by Dr. A. G.