This is one of the first questions I answer in every full-mouth rehabilitation consultation at Dental Conceptz, and the honest answer is that it varies considerably depending on what the case involves. The range is wide: from around six months for a patient who has adequate bone, does not require implants, and needs comprehensive crowns or veneers to restore a worn dentition, up to eighteen months or more for a patient who needs multiple implants, bone augmentation procedures, and a period of healing between surgical stages before the prosthetic work can begin. The reason for this range is that full-mouth rehabilitation is not one procedure but a coordinated sequence of procedures, each of which must be completed and, in many cases, allowed to heal before the next stage can proceed. If you are having implants placed, the implants require three to six months of osseointegration, the process by which the titanium surface fuses with the jawbone, before they can safely receive the final prosthetic crowns or bridges. If bone augmentation is needed before or alongside the implants, this adds further healing time. The surgical phases are followed by the prosthetic phases: impressions, shade selection, laboratory fabrication of the final restorations, fit appointments, and adjustments. Throughout the treatment period, you will be wearing provisional restorations, which are carefully made temporary crowns or bridges that allow you to function and evaluate the aesthetics at every stage. This provisional phase is not wasted time: it is where the bite is confirmed, the appearance is assessed, and adjustments are made before anything is finalised. The good news is that you are never without teeth during the process. At Dental Conceptz, I set out the full treatment timeline for every rehabilitation patient at the planning stage, so you know exactly what is happening at each appointment, and you can plan your life around the sequence rather than being surprised by it.
Written by Dr. Namratha Umesh, MDS Prosthodontics and Implantology (RGUHS, Bengaluru), Fellow ICOI ITI ISOI, Fellowship Orofacial Pain and Sleep Medicine (Roseman University, Utah, USA), Director and Chief Dental Surgeon, Dental Conceptz, Sahakar Nagar and Jakkur, Bengaluru. Phone: +91 9480016622.
