Restoring your beautiful, healthy smile with a full-mouth reconstruction package is an excellent way to get your gorgeous, glowing grin to look and feel exactly how you want it. But before you can show off your strong, stunning teeth, you’ll likely need to heal first. Here’s a closer look at how long you can expect this process to take, and how soon you can start sharing your newly improved smile with the world!
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Teeth with minor cavities may need to be repaired with durable, lifelike tooth-colored fillings. These restorations not only prevent decay from worsening, but they also repair damaged enamel discreetly, so nobody ever needs to know they’ve had damage. Tooth colored fillings are made of strong, natural-looking composite resin, and can usually be completed in just one appointment. In fact, the average treatment for one tooth could be done in about an hour.
Recovery from tooth-colored fillings is generally mild. While your dentist will likely numb your mouth before the procedure, once this wears off you may experience some mild soreness and sensitivity, but it should conclude within a day or so, and in most cases, it can be effectively treated with over-the-counter pain relievers.
Tooth Extractions
If your dentist needs to extract teeth to prepare your mouth for restorations like dental implants, your recovery may take a bit longer. If you need stitches or sutures, these should dissolve in about five days. You may experience some soreness and swelling for the first three days after your procedure, but after that it should become more comfortable. If you need dental implants, you will likely have to wait for several months before your jaw is healed to have your placement surgery. For other options like dental bridges, you won’t need to wait as long to heal but still may need to recover for several weeks before your mouth is in good condition.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns treatment can usually be done in two appointments. First, you’ll visit your dentist to have the tooth reshaped and the damaged enamel removed. Then, you’ll have a temporary crown placed while your new one is being made at the dental lab. In about two weeks, you’ll return to your dentist’s office and have the temporary restoration removed and the permanent crown cemented in place. You’ll then be able to use it to enjoy a full diet without any further downtime.
With your temporary crown, you should avoid eating anything too hard or sticky. You may also experience some tooth sensitivity while you have it, but it should be very mild and will likely go away once the permanent restoration is attached. After this occurs, you may have some more mild soreness for a day or so, but it should be easily alleviated with over-the-counter pain reliever.
Dental Implants
The recovery time involved in getting dental implants varies depending on the patient. You may need preliminary treatment before your dental implants can be placed, such as a bone graft, sinus lift, or gum disease treatment. Each of these procedures come with their own recovery times that could take months, but healing from them is essential before having your dental implants placed.
Following your dental implant surgery, your recovery period could take between three and six months. Then, once you get your abutments placed (the part that connects the false tooth to the dental implant) you will have another minor recovery period of several weeks before your final restoration is attached. Thankfully, the placement itself should not require any downtime. In fact, you should be ready to show off your new smile immediately. All in all, total recovery for dental implants could take six months to a year.
Remember, your full-month reconstruction treatment may have many different procedures in one, each of which carrying its own unique recovery time and instructions. Although it is understandable that you’re eager to begin restoring your gorgeous grin, it is important to be patient following every treatment so you can heal properly and have the greatest odds for a successful new smile!
About Our Practice
At Cottonwood Creek Dental, our team of caring and skilled dentists wants to help you restore your healthy, beautiful, pain-free smile with a full-mouth reconstruction package. Whether you need two or more treatments to bring back your gorgeous grin, we’ve got a variety of options available to get exactly what you need. To learn more about what we can do for you, schedule a consultation for full-mouth reconstruction today by visiting our website or calling 406-582-8010.