Complex dental restorations are procedures that replace many, if not all, of the teeth on the lower or upper jaw with a combination of crowns, bridges or dental implants.

Patients who need complex restorations typically have very worn teeth due to these or other reasons:

• Chemical erosion
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Bruxim (clenching and grinding teeth)
   

After your initial evaluation for a restoration, our prosthodontist will create a diagnostic model of your mouth and use it to outline the restoration plan.

At Johns Hopkins, we have introduced an advanced method of completing complex dental restorations, known as cone beam CT-guided implant restorations.

While complex dental restorations are very involved and take at least six months, our patients are thrilled with the results. Not only do they regain function and form while talking, chewing and swallowing, they get their smile back.

Maxillofacial prosthetics include bone grafts, dentures and dental implants that help with reconstruction after a trauma, birth defect or complications of treatment. Maxillofacial prosthetics can help restore the form and function for patients who experienced:

• Head and neck cancer treatments that altered their facial anatomy
• Deformity of the face or mouth, such as cleft palate
• Facial or dental trauma

Oral pathology is a branch of dentistry concerned with oral cancer and other pathologies. We consult with patients who are concerned about suspicious oral lesions. We read slides from biopsies and report on results.

During cancer treatment, you may see a prosthodontist who can make interim prostheses and help plan the bite reconstruction after the treatment.

We also advise that head and neck cancer patients are screened before radiation treatment to evaluate jaw health. This helps us make recommendations to prevent osteonecrosis during jawbone radiation.