Complete Oral Rehabilitation

While a typical dental patient presents with only one or two problem areas, a few patients may have a complex combination of oral problems. If things are addressed only as single unrelated entities the final treatment outcome is compromised.

Comprehensive Oral Rehabilitation refers to dental treatment involving a complex set of circumstances, which have usually resulted in an alteration of the way that the teeth fit together. This involves treating multiple oral problems by treating individual problems as they interrelate to one another.

To state it simply, the goal of oral rehabilitation is to treat the mouth as a whole and restoring a person's mouth to a state of health and function.

First, let's look at what COR does not entail. Click here to download a great article from the Jounal of the American Dental Association by a nationally respected lecturer, Gordon Christensen. Too often, comprehensive treatment is looked at as simply an "Extreme Makeover". Cosmetic improvements are important, both to you and to us. It is also important to create treatment plans that limit invasive procedures where possible and solve the underlying conditions that brought about the damage in the first place. Have you ever heard the expression "If all you've got is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail."? All too often on these shows, it seems that treatment is being limited to a certain set of procedures due to time constraints. Do these same sets of procedures fit all of these cases equally? What will the results of these cases look like in 5 years? In 10 years?

Now lets look at what COR usually means:

  • Treatment is started with a full examination including a cancer exam, tooth exam, gum exam, jaw joint exam and a full set of x-rays, photos and models.
  • A diagnosis is reached for the conditions present and a problem list is developed.
  • Choices are reviewed and options are presented for the best ways to treat these conditions.
  • A series of step-by-step treatments are planned to eliminate the diseases and problems that were found.

Most importantly, comprehensive oral rehabilitation will use many disciplines which are interrelated to render the best treatment possible. Often this requires input from dental specialists who work as a team with us to take care of you. These may include:

  • Periodontists to stabilize the bone and gums to provide a stable foundation for our work.
  • Endodontists to eliminate infections from teeth and enable us to restore severely damaged teeth.
  • Orthodontists to upright and straighten misaligned teeth to properly direct biting forces along the tooth roots and into the jaw.
  • Oral surgeons to perform complicated extractions, control severe infections and treat the jaw and face.

At McKee Dental, Dr. Woodman and Dr. Malz are proud of the thoroughness of their examinations and the detail of their treatment plans. You will find, whether your dental problems are simple or very complex, that we follow the same principals and attention to detail in order to optimize the outcome. We understand that complex dental treatment can be embarrassing, frightening and expensive and we promise to do everything that we can to guide you through the process.

If you feel that you have complicated dental problems that have not been addressed, take the first step and come in for a comprehensive examination, radiographs and treatment planning consultation. This small step can make the largest difference in your oral health. If you have already begun this process but would like to see if you are on the right track, we are happy to provide second opinion consultations.