Full Mouth Reconstruction in Laguna Hills

Full mouth reconstruction rebuilds every damaged tooth in both jaws through one planned sequence of crowns, onlays, implants and bite correction. It is not a single procedure. At Pearl32 Dentistry and Wellness in Laguna Hills, the work is usually staged over several months, with a written itemized estimate agreed before anything is started.

What full mouth reconstruction actually means

Some dentists call it full mouth rehabilitation. Every tooth in both jaws is treated as one connected problem, rather than repairing one broken tooth at a time and hoping the rest hold. Most people who need one collected the damage slowly, over twenty or thirty years. The usual causes:

• Teeth worn short and flat by years of clenching and grinding, usually at night
• Crowns, bridges and large fillings placed decades ago, now leaking, cracked or loose
• Acid erosion caused by reflux, medication or frequent acidic drinks, which thins enamel
• Cracked or split molars that were heavily filled years before
• Missing back teeth, which pushes the chewing load onto the front teeth
• A bite that has closed down as the teeth shortened, so the chin sits nearer the nose

People often also describe an aching jaw in the morning, clicking joints, sensitivity or headaches. Many have already been told by a dentist that it all needs doing, and left that appointment frightened by the size of it.

That reaction is reasonable and the scale is real. What usually helps is seeing the work split into stages, each with its own fee and its own decision point, instead of one enormous yes or no.

How the bite is assessed and rebuilt at our Laguna Hills office

1. Records and diagnosis

The first appointment is about measuring, not drilling. We take a 3D cone beam CT scan, a digital intraoral scan, photographs and a bite registration, and chart the gums around every tooth. Scanning takes less chair time than impression trays. You leave with a tooth-by-tooth assessment: what is sound, what is repairable, what cannot be saved.

2. Working out where the bite should sit

This is what separates a bite reconstruction from a set of separate crowns. We measure how far the bite has closed down, check how the jaw joints move and how the muscles feel, and read the wear patterns to see how you grind. Only then can we decide whether the bite needs opening up, and by how much. Opening a closed bite also lengthens the lower face slightly, which is planned, not accidental.

3. The design, before any tooth is touched

The proposed teeth are designed digitally and shown to you as models or a trial mock-up in your mouth. Length, shape and how much tooth shows when you talk are settled here. Changes are easy now. After the ceramics are made they are not.

4. Testing the new bite in provisionals

In most cases you then wear provisional (temporary) restorations at the new bite height for several weeks. You chew, speak and sleep in the new bite, and we adjust it while adjustment is still easy. If something is sore, we would rather find out here than later.

5. Stabilising what is damaged

Active problems are dealt with before rebuilding starts: decay removed, gum disease treated, root canal treatment where a nerve is involved, and teeth that cannot be saved taken out. Rebuilding over untreated disease is how reconstructions fail.

6. Implants where teeth are missing

Where back teeth are gone, implants often hold the rebuilt bite together. Placement is planned in advance on the 3D scan and carried out through a surgical guide made for your jaw. Healing usually takes three to six months. If very little is salvageable in one jaw, full arch implant treatment may be the more sensible route.

7. The definitive restorations

Final crowns, onlays and ceramics are fitted in sections, usually a quadrant or an arch at a time, so you always have teeth to eat with. We have in-house CAD/CAM milling for same-day crowns, which suits many back teeth. Front teeth are handled more slowly, using the all-ceramic work described on our porcelain veneers page.

8. Protecting the result

If grinding caused the damage, it does not stop because the teeth are new. Almost every reconstruction finishes with a night guard and a regular review and hygiene schedule. This part is not optional.

Who does this work

Full mouth reconstruction is prosthodontic work at its core: rebuilding tooth structure, replacing what is missing, and making the two jaws meet correctly. Dr. Nojan Jahedmanesh, DDS, holds a dental degree from Loma Linda University and a certificate in prosthodontics from UCLA. Prosthodontics is the area of dentistry that covers crowns, bridges, dentures and implants. He practices as a general dentist.

Pearl32 Dentistry and Wellness has three general dentists and has been serving the community since 1994. See the wider range of care on our general dentistry page.

Cost

There is no single fee for a full mouth reconstruction, and any figure would mean little until the records are done, because the cost depends entirely on which teeth need what. Twenty-eight teeth needing crowns is a different case to eight crowns, two implants and careful bite adjustment.

What moves the total: how many teeth are restored, whether implants are needed and how many, whether gum or root canal treatment comes first, extractions, and the materials chosen.

After the consultation and records appointment you receive a written, itemized estimate: every procedure listed separately with its own fee, grouped by phase, so you can see what each stage costs before agreeing to it. It states what is included (planning, design, provisionals, definitive restorations, reviews) and what is not (any phase listed separately, sedation, whitening).

We accept most major PPO plans and Delta Dental HMO. Insurance rarely covers a reconstruction in full, because annual maximums are usually modest against work of this size, though phasing treatment across two benefit years sometimes helps. Four outside lenders can spread the balance, Cherry, CareCredit, Sunbit and Happen Bank, each subject to credit approval, and our financing page covers what applying involves.

Timeline

Usually 16 to 72 weeks from first consultation to finished result, roughly four to eighteen months. This is a long process and it is better to know that at the start.

• Weeks 1 to 4: consultation, records, cone beam CT, digital scan, diagnosis, written estimate
• Weeks 3 to 8: design and trial mock-up, then stabilising treatment such as gum therapy, root canals or extractions
• Weeks 6 to 16: provisional restorations placed at the new bite, then worn and adjusted
• Months 3 to 9: implant placement and healing, where implants form part of the plan
• Final 8 to 16 weeks: definitive crowns, onlays and ceramics fitted section by section, then the night guard

Worn teeth with healthy gums and no implants sit at the shorter end; extractions, gum treatment and implant healing sit at the longer end. We will put a realistic range in writing once the records are read.

Common questions about full mouth reconstruction

Do I have to have all the work done at once?

No, and most people do not. Treatment is split into phases, each quoted separately, and you agree to one phase at a time. We will tell you which parts genuinely cannot wait, such as active infection or a cracked tooth, and which can sit until you are ready.

Why are my teeth so worn down?

Usually a combination of grinding and acid. Night-time clenching flattens the biting surfaces mechanically, while acid caused by reflux, medication or frequent acidic drinks softens enamel so it wears faster. Missing back teeth speed the process up by overloading the front ones.

Can full mouth reconstruction fix my jaw pain and headaches?

It often helps, but no one can promise it. Where symptoms are linked to a collapsed bite or heavy grinding, restoring bite height and protecting the teeth at night frequently reduces muscle ache and morning headaches. Some jaw joint problems have other causes and need separate treatment.

What happens between appointments, will I have temporary teeth?

Yes. You wear provisional crowns throughout, so you are never without teeth, and you can eat and work normally. Provisionals are softer than the final ceramics, so we ask you to go easy on very hard or sticky food. If one loosens, call the office and we will refit it, usually the same day.

How much does full mouth reconstruction cost in Orange County?

It varies more than almost any other dental treatment, because it depends on which teeth need what. The only real answer for your mouth is the written itemized estimate you receive after the consultation and records appointment. We do not quote reconstruction over the phone.

Does dental insurance cover full mouth reconstruction?

Partly. Crowns, root canals and gum treatment are usually covered benefits, but annual maximums are modest against work of this size. We accept most major PPO plans and Delta Dental HMO and can phase treatment across benefit years. Our membership plans cover routine care for patients without insurance.

What if I have been told all my teeth need taking out?

Get the assessment before you accept that. Some mouths do better with full arch implants than with heroic attempts to save teeth that will not last. Others have been over-diagnosed. A cone beam CT scan, gum charting and a tooth-by-tooth prognosis will show which teeth have a reasonable future.

Is the treatment uncomfortable?

Appointments are comfortable for most people. We use local anesthetic, and sedation is available for longer visits. Reconstruction appointments run longer than usual, so we build in breaks. Some tenderness in the teeth and jaw muscles for a few days after a long session is normal and usually settles with ordinary pain relief.

All treatment carries risks, which we explain before you consent to anything. Contact details and opening hours.