Full Mouth Reconstruction in Vestal, NY

When several problems are affecting your teeth at once, fixing them one at a time rarely works. Full mouth reconstruction is a single coordinated plan that rebuilds the bite first and the appearance second, using whichever treatments your mouth actually needs.

At Vestal Dental Associates we have been treating patients in Vestal and the Greater Binghamton region since 1955, and our in-house board eligible prosthodontist is what makes a case of this size something we can plan and finish in one building rather than refer out in pieces.

Who Full Mouth Reconstruction Is For

It is not one treatment. It is a plan built around a specific mouth, and you may be a candidate if you recognize several of these at once:

• Multiple missing teeth or extensive tooth loss
• Severely worn, cracked or broken teeth from grinding or injury
• Significant decay affecting several teeth at the same time
• Advanced gum disease that has cost you supporting bone
• A bite that is causing jaw pain, headaches or uneven wear
• Existing crowns, bridges or dentures that are failing together

One of those on its own is usually a single treatment. Three or four of them at once is when treating each in isolation starts producing work that has to be redone, because each decision depends on the others.

What a Reconstruction Is Built From

Your plan may draw on any combination of the following, sequenced to reach one result.

Dental Implants

Where teeth are missing, dental implants replace the root as well as the crown, which is what keeps the jawbone loaded and stops it receding. Our computer-guided planning system positions every implant digitally against your own anatomy before any surgery.

Crowns and Bridges

Where teeth are broken or structurally compromised, crowns and bridges restore their shape and strength. Our in-office CEREC system designs and mills many of them the same day, so a reconstruction involves fewer appointments than it otherwise would.

Dentures and Implant-Supported Dentures

Where an entire arch is gone, the choice is between a conventional denture, an implant-supported denture that clips onto implants and comes out at night, and a fixed bridge screwed permanently onto four or more implants, which is the All-on-4 category. They cost very different amounts and feel very different day to day, and our full mouth implant page sets all three against each other.

Periodontal Treatment

Nothing gets built on unhealthy gums. Where disease is present, periodontal therapy comes first and the rest of the plan waits for it.

Bone Grafting

Where bone has been lost, grafting rebuilds enough of the ridge to hold implants. We use a platelet-rich plasma centrifuge, which concentrates growth factors from your own blood to support healing at the graft site.

Cosmetic Finishing

Once the function is sound, the appearance is finished: veneers, whitening and bonding, with shade, proportion and alignment decided as a whole rather than tooth by tooth. Where appearance rather than function is the driver from the start, that is a smile makeover instead.

The whole plan is designed before the first appointment, even when it is delivered over two or three years, because every stage has to be built toward the same finish.

Planned by a board eligible prosthodontist. Read about the team.

The Technology Behind the Plan

Orthophos SL 3D cone beam imaging. Three-dimensional images of your jaw and bone structure using less radiation than conventional cone beam units, which is how bone density and hidden problems are assessed properly rather than guessed at from a flat x-ray.

Computer-guided implant planning. Every implant placement is simulated before surgery, with bone quality measured and critical structures located in advance. Shorter surgical time and fewer surprises.

CEREC Primemill and a Programat CS6 furnace. Crowns, bridges and onlays designed, milled, stained and glazed here. No lab waiting periods stacked through a year-long plan.

SIROLaser soft tissue laser. Gum contouring and periodontal work with less discomfort and faster soft tissue healing than a scalpel. Patients who are nervous about dental work tend to find this part easier than they expected, and sedation is available throughout.

Our knowledge and technology page covers the rest of what is in the building.

Why a Prosthodontist Matters on a Case This Size

A prosthodontist completes four years of dental school and then a three-year residency accredited by the American Dental Association, in one of the twelve recognized dental specialties. The training is specifically about replacing teeth, managing complex bites and rehabilitating a whole mouth.

On a single filling that makes no difference. On a reconstruction it is the difference between a set of individually competent treatments and a coherent result, because someone has to hold the whole bite in their head while the parts are being made. Dr. Fritz Zietsman is board eligible in prosthodontics and works alongside the rest of the team here, so complex cases that other offices refer out are handled in this one.

What to Expect

A comprehensive consultation with 3D imaging, a review of your dental and medical history, and a conversation about what you actually want out of it. From there you get a phased written plan: which procedures, in what order, over what timeline, at what cost.

Depending on complexity, a reconstruction runs from a few months to over a year. We prioritize the treatments that are actively causing harm first, so the urgent work is done early even if the cosmetic finishing is a year out. Read what patients say on our reviews page, and our Learning Center compares implants, bridges and dentures as parts of a plan.

Full Mouth Reconstruction Questions We Hear

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  How is this different from a smile makeover?
  A smile makeover is led by appearance, on teeth that function adequately. A reconstruction is led by function: tooth loss, bite collapse, extensive wear, failing restorations. Appearance improves considerably, but it is driven by rebuilding a working bite. Plenty of cases sit between the two, and the distinction matters mostly because it changes who leads the case, how long it takes and how insurance treats it.
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  How long does it take?
  A case built around a few crowns and periodontal therapy can finish in a few months. One involving implants, grafting and a full arch runs a year or more, and most of that is healing rather than chair time. You will get a dated sequence at planning rather than a range, and we sequence appointments to keep the number of visits down.
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  Can I do it in stages as I can afford it?
  Usually, and it is a sensible way to approach a case this size. The condition is that the whole plan is designed first even if it is delivered over three years, because each stage has to be built toward the final bite. Treating one problem at a time without that plan is how people end up paying twice. Tell us the budget and the timeline at the start and we will sequence around them, including phasing across benefit years.
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  Will insurance cover it?
  Parts of it, usually. Restorative and periodontal elements with a genuine clinical justification are often covered at a percentage, subject to an annual maximum that a case this size will exceed. Purely cosmetic elements generally are not. We separate the plan into what is likely to attract coverage and what is not, so you see both figures rather than one total, and we phase treatment across benefit years where that helps. Our payment options page covers the financing available.
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  How much will it hurt?
  Individual appointments are done under local anesthesia and most are unremarkable. Surgical stages, implants and grafting in particular, bring swelling and soreness for several days afterward, managed with prescribed medication. Sedation options with monitoring are available for patients whose anxiety is the real obstacle, and the soft tissue laser reduces post-operative soreness on gum work considerably.
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  How do I know I need all of it?
  You may not, and finding that out is what the consultation is for. A full evaluation with 3D imaging shows bone levels, bite alignment and the condition of every tooth, and sometimes the honest answer is that three targeted treatments will get you where you want to be. We would rather tell you that than sell a plan. If you have been quoted for a reconstruction elsewhere, bring the plan and we will go through it with you.