Comprehensive Care
Comprehensive dentistry restores health, function and beauty back to teeth. Smile makeovers and full mouth reconstructions are two types of comprehensive therapy. Smile makeovers involve several teeth to give you the smile you have always wanted. Full mouth reconstructions are needed when every tooth in one or both jaws needs work done. Comprehensive care can be for a person wanting to improve an esthetic issue or help someone with dental problems. Most often it’s a combination. Comprehensive dentistry is the best of restorative care and cosmetic care. The goal is to keep teeth healthy and beautiful for a lifetime by eliminating disease and conditions that break teeth down. Dental problems will only progress and worsen with time. The earlier the intervention, the less treatment needed.
What to Expect
Consult
A comprehensive exam is completed and treatment is discussed. Dr. Brian Haeussner will talk with you about any issues going on, what can be done to help, and how much it may cost.
Smile Design
When we are making positive changes to several teeth Dr. Brian will do a smile design. We will talk about what cosmetic changes you would like to see and take photos along with preliminary impressions. It’s helpful to bring in photos of what you’d like your new smile to look like or photos of how your smile used to look. It’s good to know how white you’d like your teeth to be. Dr. Brian will listen to the improvements you want to make and then create a mock up for your new smile. You can preview any changes on a computer model, in wax on a stone model, or with temporary materials to try out the new smile in your mouth. We will look at the length, shape and proportion of the teeth and see if the right amount of tooth structure is showing when your lips are at rest and smiling. Once you are happy with the changes being made we can then start the procedures for the smile makeover or full mouth reconstruction. Work can be done in composite or porcelain. Temporaries will be made for veneers or crowns. It is a great time to test out the look and feel of your new smile. If there any changes you would like to see then we can tell the lab to make those changes for the final veneers or crowns.
Treatment Options for Smile Makeovers and Reconstructions
Crowns:Strong porcelain that encircles a tooth for maximum protection.
Veneers:Thin layers of strong porcelain bonded to the front of teeth.
Composites:Tooth colored fillings bonded to teeth.
Making Comprehensive Dentistry Affordable
There are ways to make a smile makeover or full mouth reconstruction affordable for everyone. It’s important to know that treatment can be phased over time or done in stages. Not all treatment has to be done at once. Payment plans are also available.
Why is Comprehensive Dentistry Needed?
Wear and tear are likely going to happen to teeth. The mouth is a rough place for teeth to live in. There’s billions of microorganisms colonizing on the teeth and producing harmful toxins. There’s stressful overload of the teeth. Every time we chew we are putting around 170 pounds of pressure on our teeth. The food and drink we have can be acidic and abrasive to our teeth. Break down of teeth and supporting structures starts to occur with decay, cracks, fractures and wear. Teeth are protected by the hardest substance in our body called enamel. When conditions break down this outer layer of tooth structure, it exposes the softer middle layer (dentin). Once this occurs, the problems progress 6 times faster. What will your teeth look like in another 10 years if nothing is done to stop the problem? We only get one set of permanent teeth so it’s important to take care of them so they last. Teeth are important for chewing, nutrition and overall health. They’re necessary for speech allowing f, v, s and th sounds to be made. Your smile is often the first thing people notice about you. Teeth affect your appearance and confidence.
Smile Makeover and Full Mouth Reconstruction Examples
Please view our Smile Gallery to see before and after photos.