If all or most of your teeth have been lost or badly damaged, it may seem like your options are limited. Being able to use your teeth the way you used to, or to smile without feeling self-conscious, may feel like distant dreams, but they don’t have to be. With full mouth restoration in Melbourne, it’s possible to receive a brand new set of beautiful, functioning teeth in as little as one day. We’re not talking about dentures, either. These are the kind of teeth you don’t have to remove in order to clean them or to go to sleep at night.
To “restore” is to return something to its previous state or condition. So it makes sense that full mouth restoration (also called rehabilitation or reconstruction) is a treatment type that re-establishes your mouth’s appearance and functionality. If your dental issues are life-long they can actually provide you with a better smile.
Missing teeth are surprisingly common in Australia and are sometimes the result of genetic conditions like hypodontia. The frequent causes for those who lose their teeth later in life are injury, trauma, illness, gum disease and rampant tooth decay. While missing teeth are common, it’s best to address them as soon as possible. Even one or two missing teeth can cause problems with the rest of your mouth and even other parts of your body. Other teeth can shift out of place to fill the gap, becoming crooked and making it more difficult to clean between them. The natural movement of teeth stimulates jawbones, which can weaken in the areas without teeth, leading to further tooth loss. Perhaps the worst-case scenario is that gum disease can spread to other parts of the body, causing serious respiratory and cardiovascular ailments.
Full mouth restoration, as the name suggests, works on your entire mouth in order to protect your overall health. Next Smile Australia provides full mouth restoration in Melbourne in one of our All-on-4® Super Clinics, located in the inner city suburb of Hawthorn.
Melbourne is widely recognised for its arts and culture, sports and major events. It’s also a city where one of Australia’s most experienced All-on-4® dental surgeons, Dr Larry Benge, can create results that will make you smile. So what is All-on-4® and is it the same as full mouth restoration? How do you know if you’re the right candidate for full mouth restoration in Melbourne? All is about to be revealed.
What is Full Mouth Restoration?
Full mouth restoration involves repairing or replacing all the teeth in a person’s mouth, taking into account both how they work and how they look (restorative and cosmetic dentistry). As you might expect, this isn’t one simple procedure but involves multiple dental professionals working together towards a common goal. Full mouth restoration in Melbourne (or anywhere else) can involve a number of different procedures including root canals, fillings, bridges, crowns, bone grafting, dental implants and orthodontics.
Next Smile Australia offers a form of full mouth restoration known as the All-on-4® treatment. This style of treatment is similar to dental implants as you may know them: a series of titanium screws inserted into the jawbone with crowns affixed on top. The key difference is that All-on-4® rests an entire arch of new teeth on just four implants - two in front and two at the back on each jawbone.
Pioneered by Dr Paulo Malo in 1998, All-on-4® has a 98% success rate based on a study with five years of follow-up, but not all All-on-4® treatments are equally effective. At Next Smile Australia, we use ‘the Malo Protocol’, Dr Malo’s own two-bridge process. During stage one of this process, you’ll receive your first set of “provisional teeth” to be worn for three to six months. Once your new implants have fused with your jawbone in a process known as osseointegration, you’ll be ready for your “final bridge” or final set of new teeth.
What Are the Benefits of Full Mouth Restoration?
One of the biggest benefits of full mouth restoration is that it can give you a new smile in as little as one day. Other benefits of full mouth restoration in Melbourne and the All-on-4® treatment include
- Teeth that both look and feel natural
- A procedure that avoids the need for dental bone grafting
- A shorter healing time than traditional implants
- Treatment with innovative techniques and state-of-the-art technology at All-on-4® Super Clinics
- More comfortable chewing
- Protection from further tooth loss and dental issues
The Process of Full Mouth Restoration
The first step to a new smile with All-on-4® is always an appointment at one of our All-on-4® Super Clinics with one of our highly trained, deeply knowledgeable All-on-4® dental surgeons. A dentist or dental surgeon will assess your goals and examine your dental and medical history in order to assess your suitability for the All-on-4® treatment.
If you’re a suitable candidate, we’ll put together a treatment plan that meets your needs. One of our in-house laboratories will begin to construct your first set of teeth using materials from Nobel Biocare, Dr Malo’s own research partner. Our lab technicians will craft your teeth based on scans and digital impressions so that they’re ready on the day of your surgery.
After your surgery, you’ll wear your provisional teeth somewhere between three to six months. During this time period, your lab technicians will prepare your final set of teeth.
When you choose full mouth restoration Melbourne with Next Smile, every appointment from your initial consultation to your aftercare and including your surgery will take place under the same roof.
Who is a Candidate for Full Mouth Restoration?
Despite all of the advantages of All-on-4®, it isn’t the treatment option for everyone. If you only have one or two missing teeth, traditional dental implants are a more appropriate option. While booking a personal consultation at a Next Smile Australia clinic and speaking to one of our All-on-4® dental surgeons is the only way to know for certain if All-on-4® is right for you, there’s a high chance it is if:
- You’ve lost multiple teeth due to injury, illness or tooth decay.
- You have advanced gum disease.
- You cannot restore your teeth or don’t see any benefits to doing so.
Full Mouth Restoration at Next Smile Australia Melbourne
Next Smile Australia Melbourne is run by Dr Larry Benge, one of Next Smile Australia’s founders and Australia’s most experienced dental surgeons. Like all of our All-on-4® Super Clinics, it’s a safe, hygienic, and medically regulated environment featuring in-house laboratories and surgical rooms. Dr Benge and his hard-working, empathetic team ensure that not only do you get the best possible treatment, but also ensure that your full mouth restoration in Melbourne is comfortable too.
Dr Benge has over 38 years of experience in the dental industry with a particular focus on aesthetic, reconstructive, and implant dentistry. He was the Practice Principal at Melbourne’s Bond Street Dental for almost 35 years before partnering with Dr Malo to bring the All-on-4® treatment to Australia. Passionate about both the business of dentistry and the practice of surgical solutions, his expertise has led him to regularly fly between Melbourne and Sydney for All-on-4® procedures. He’s also a sought-after media representative on dental issues with regular radio appearances.
Dr Benge leads a highly capable team of All-on-4® dental surgeons including Dr Lauren Fowler, the world’s youngest Digital Smile Master and winner of the Dux of Paediatric Dentistry while at Adelaide University. This is the kind of team that ensures your full mouth restoration in Melbourne runs smoothly and delivers results you’ll be happy with for years to come.
If you’d like to find out more about full mouth restoration in Melbourne or attend a personal consultation, contact the Next Smile Australia team.