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WatchFull Mouth Restoration

When most of your teeth are gone, here are the paths forward at Dr. Raffi General & Implant Dentistry

Losing most or all of your teeth used to mean one option. Today it means several, ranging from a comfortable traditional denture up to a permanent set of teeth carried entirely on dental implants. Seeing how each one actually works makes it much easier to judge which fits your situation, your goals, and your budget.

Three main paths are covered in this video. A traditional denture costs the least but rests loosely on the gums and can loosen further over time. An implant-supported overdenture adds two or more implants with snap-in attachments, giving you a solution that stays stable yet still comes out for cleaning. Full-arch implant restorations, often called "All-on-Four," go a step further: as few as four implants per arch anchor a permanent set of teeth that look and function like your own.

There's a detail worth understanding before you choose: losing teeth sets off jawbone shrinkage that gradually reshapes the face, sinking the lips, deepening lines around the mouth, and collapsing the profile. Dental implants are the only approach proven to stop that bone loss, because they stimulate the jaw the same way natural tooth roots always did.

No two cases look alike, which is why your consultation includes 3D imaging, a conversation about what matters most to you, and a straightforward look at financing. We'll lay out the options honestly so the decision is yours to make with full information.

Want the full story on Full Mouth Restoration?

Our complete treatment guide covers what to expect, the procedure step by step, recovery, costs, and answers to the questions patients ask most.

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Visit Dr. Raffi General & Implant Dentistry

Chicago Office

6215 W Touhy Ave

Chicago, IL 60646

Mon9:30am – 4pm

Tue9:30am – 5:30pm

Wed9am – 5pm

Thu9am – 11am

Fri10am – 1:30pm

Sat – SunClosed

Bourbonnais Office

876 N Convent St

Bourbonnais, IL 60914

Mon9:30am – 4pm

Tue9:30am – 6pm

Wed9am – 5pm

Thu9am – 1pm

Fri9am – 1pm

Sat – SunClosed

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If all of your teeth are missing, or you have many failing or broken teeth, there are several options for replacing them and restoring your healthy smile. Depending on your condition, your dentist may recommend a traditional denture, an overdenture, or use dental implants to support your new replacement teeth. One option is a traditional denture. A denture sits loosely on top of your gums, and although it may look like your natural teeth, it doesn't always function like your natural teeth.

Simple everyday tasks like speaking and eating might be difficult with dentures due to their instability. Over time, dentures can become loose and wobbly because the bone can resorb under the denture. There are vital nerves that run through this area, and can end up on the surface of the bone, causing pain when you are eating. The only proven way to prevent or stop bone loss is by placing a dental implant.

Dental implants are small titanium tooth replacement options that can be used to replace all of your teeth. Another option to use dental implants to replace your teeth is with an implant-supported overdenture. Two or more dental implants are placed into the jaw, and special attachments called abutments are screwed into the dental implants. The teeth will then snap into the abutments, providing a sturdy and stable foundation.

These teeth are much more stable than traditional dentures, do not require sticky adhesives, and are able to be taken out by the patient and cleaned. Today's technology allows us to replace all of your teeth with just four or more dental implants. Special attachments, called abutments, are screwed into the dental implants. Your new teeth are then placed on the abutments, and small screws will connect the teeth to the implants.

Your new teeth will be stable, secure, and can only be removed by your dentist. They will look and function like your natural teeth. Remember that once teeth are lost, the bone continues to resorb until dental implants are placed. Depending on your condition, and how much bone is lost, you may require more dental implants, or implants placed on an angle, to achieve the best results.

Bone loss is not just a functional concern, but has dramatic effects on the cosmetics of the face. When teeth are not replaced, the jaw bone melts away, resulting in a collapsed facial profile, sunken lips, increased wrinkles around the mouth, pointed chin, and a nose that appears too close to the chin. These characteristics lead to a dramatically older appearance of the face. Replacing your teeth with dental implants is associated with an overall improved quality of life, consumption of more nutritious foods, preservation of bone, and improves self-confidence.