If you have extensive problems with your teeth, then you might be in need of multiple procedures to help get you back to a beautiful and functional smile. When your dentist in Seattle uses multiple procedures to restore your smile, this is known as “full mouth reconstruction.”

The exact procedures included in full mouth reconstruction are different in different patients. When you come for your consultation, your dentist in Seattle will determine which procedures are necessary in your case. Here are some of the procedures commonly included in full mouth reconstruction.

A crown is a porcelain shell placed around a tooth. For a tooth that has extensive damage, a crown can restore it, giving the tooth the necessary strength to withstand the normal forces of chewing. When a tooth has undergone a root canal, the damage is often extensive, and your dentist in Seattle may need to place a crown to restore the tooth.

Inlays and onlays are related to crowns. In essence, an inlay or onlay is a partial crown. Inlays are placed between the cusps (bumps) of a tooth, while onlays cover at least one entire cusp.

A bridge can be used to replace a missing tooth. For a bridge, crowns are placed on the teeth adjacent to the space where the tooth is missing, and are used to support an artificial tooth (called a pontic). A bridge is cemented to your teeth by your dentist in Seattle, unlike a partial denture, which is removable.

When a tooth has a cavity that affects only the outer layers of the tooth, a filling can restore the tooth. Your dentist in Seattle uses composite resin, which is an advanced tooth-colored material that mimics the appearance of a natural tooth, for every filling he performs.

When the decay enters the inner space of the tooth, then a simple filling won’t be enough to treat it. The nerves and blood vessels of the tooth are in that inner space, and once they’re infected, a root canal is needed to treat the tooth. This involves your dentist in Seattle drilling a hole to access the inner part of the tooth, removing infected tissue, and then filling the space with a biologically-compatible material. Depending on how extensive the damage was, the tooth may then need a filling, or may require a crown.

Patients who have lost one or more teeth may want to consider dental implants in Seattle to replace those that are missing. A dental implant is a titanium post implanted into the jaw bone. A crown can then be attached to the top of the post to serve as an artificial tooth. For those missing all of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw, several implants can be used to support a full denture. An implant-supported denture is more stable than a traditional denture, which is held in place through suction or with dental adhesive.