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Full Mouth Reconstruction

Many people are unaware that the lifestyles habits they are engaging in will ultimately lead to the need for a Full Mouth Dental Rehabilitation.

Our Brisbane Dentist in Spring Hill is highly experienced in Full Mouth Dental Reconstructions. Many people are unaware that they require this type of dental treatment, or unaware that the lifestyles habits they are engaging in will ultimately lead to the need for a Full Mouth Dental Rehabilitation.

How do I know if I need Full Mouth Reconstruction?


In the patients we have found that required a Full Mouth Reconstruction these are two of the most common questions that patients came to find the answer:

Why are my teeth getting shorter?

When the back teeth wear out and the hard wearing enamel on top of the teeth is worn away, people often do not notice. But the back teeth are designed to be a certain height in order to protect our front teeth.

We also have canine’s – these are what is commonly called eye teeth or the pointy teeth at the sides of the mouth. These teeth are meant to be long and pointed in order to separate all our other teeth when we slide our teeth against each other, therefore protecting the other teeth.

When these protective measures are lost – usually because we grind out teeth together (called bruxism), then the pressure is transferred to the front teeth which then start to wear away. This is when we start to notice the problem, as it becomes a cosmetic issue. Particularly as we age, our worn teeth start to make us look much older than we are.

Loss of enamel and these protective teeth can also occur with injury, cavities and most commonly with drinking and eating acidic products. Read more about ACID EROSION here.

Why do my fillings keep breaking?

As the teeth and enamel wear away, the space that is left for fillings is very small. WHITE FILLINGS in particular need at least 2 mm of thickness to have any strength.

Grinding the teeth together combined with thin and weak fillings results in the fillings breaking easily and falling out.

This becomes a particular problem when the front teeth break and chip. Front teeth start to wear away from the tips of the teeth or from behind the front teeth making them very thin. It is impossible to place strong fillings on these teeth as there is no space to do so, and consequently they frequently break.

In the words of Dr Szylkarski: ” Not having enough room to place a filling due to a worn out bite is the number one reason the filling will fall out early and is the most frequent reason we see patients from dentists not knowing what to do to make the filling stay – the whole bite requires bite opening to make room for the fillings, a dental rehabilitation”

What is Bite Opening and Teeth Reconstruction or Dental Rehabilitation?


When the teeth are worn out and ground down, we say the “bite has become over closed”. If you were to put a dot on your nose and a dot on your chin and bite together, the distance between the dots would be a lot less then it used to be when your teeth were full size and healthy. To restore the bite to the position it should be in – the bite is opened and to do this almost all the teeth in the mouth require reconstruction. This is known as a Full Mouth Rehabilitation or Reconstruction.

There are a number of ways to Open your bite and Rebuild your teeth:

1. With Composite Resin Restorations: Otherwise known as white filling material – resin is placed on the teeth opposite each other, with an increased thickness, so there is now a space between all the other teeth in the mouth. The space is then restored with white fillings until all the teeth again meet together.

Advantages: Affordable, Flexible, Quick, Conservative

Disadvantages: Wears away easily and can stain easily (from eg: tea and coffee).

2. With Porcelain or Gold Restorations: The bite is opened this time with Porcelain or Gold Crowns and Onlays. Again placed at an increased thickness until all the teeth meet together again.

Advantages: Long lasting and strong

Disadvantages: Greater cost and longer time to restore teeth.

3. With a Combination of Both: This is one of the best ways of performing a full mouth reconstruction. It combines the flexibility of white fillings with the longevity of porcelain and gold crowns and onlay restorations.

What is a “Wax Up”?


A Wax up is often done prior to large scale reconstruction of teeth. At Leichhardt St Dental we will always do a wax up so you can see what your teeth will look like, prior to starting the treatment.

Impressions are taken of your upper and lower teeth. Plaster casts are then made of your teeth, onto which we will sculpt and build the teeth with wax. A template is made from the newly shaped wax teeth and used to “try-in” a replica of what your teeth will look like.

Any adjustments can be made to your liking. Once completed the replica can then be simply removed and used as the template for your final restorations.

Dr Szylkarski has performed many full mouth reconstructions. Most patients tolerate the change to the bite extremely well. Once completed it is often recommended to use a grinding splint. This sits on the top teeth at night while sleeping to protect the teeth.

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