Where can I get full mouth reconstruction in Harlan, Iowa?

Markham Family Dental Associates provides full mouth reconstruction in Harlan for patients from across Shelby County, including Avoca, Atlantic, Minden, and Shelby, and many drive in from the Denison and Council Bluffs areas. No referral is needed, because the implant surgery, the lab work, and the restorative dentistry all happen in one office. Call (712) 755-5342 or request an appointment through our contact page.

What is full mouth reconstruction in dentistry?

Full mouth reconstruction is a single coordinated plan that rebuilds most or all of the teeth using restorative dentistry procedures such as implants, crowns, bridges, dentures, and gum therapy. The procedures are sequenced so the bite, the gums, and the appearance are restored together. Plans range from a few crowns to complete dental restorations of both arches, and every one is designed around saving natural teeth where possible.

How do I pay for full mouth reconstruction?

Most patients stack three things: insurance for the medically necessary portions, CareCredit or Alphaeon financing for the remainder, and the natural spacing of a phased plan, which spreads payments across months instead of one bill. Our front office builds the payment picture with you before treatment is scheduled.

Is full mouth reconstruction covered by insurance?

Yes, partially, in most cases. In the PPO plans our front office processes every week, major services such as extractions, gum treatment, and crowns are commonly covered at around 50 percent after the deductible, up to the annual maximum, while purely cosmetic dental procedures are not covered. Delta Dental, MetLife, Cigna, Aetna, Guardian, and Anthem Blue Cross are among the plans we accept, and we verify your exact benefits before treatment starts.

How long does full mouth reconstruction take?

Most plans take a few months to about a year. Implants need three to six months to bond with the jawbone before the final teeth attach, and gum treatment adds a few weeks at the start when it is needed. Crown-based plans without surgery can finish in a handful of visits. Your written plan includes the timeline, so you know the finish line on day one.

Is full mouth reconstruction the same as full mouth dental implants?

No. Full mouth dental implants replace every tooth with implant-supported teeth, while a reconstruction evaluates each tooth and keeps the ones worth keeping. Full-arch options such as All-on-X are one tool inside a reconstruction, used when replacement truly is the better path for an arch.

Does the treatment hurt?

No. Treatment is performed under local anesthetic, and IV sedation, oral sedation, and nitrous oxide are available for the longer surgical visits. Soreness after each surgical phase is real but manageable and temporary, and most patients tell us the experience was easier than they expected.

Can I get a full mouth reconstruction if I have gum disease or bone loss?

Yes, and advanced gum disease is one of the most common reasons patients need one. Active infection is treated first so the rebuild sits on a healthy foundation. Mild to moderate bone loss is rebuilt with grafting, and for severe upper jaw bone loss, zygomatic implants anchor in the cheekbone instead. We place them here in our Harlan office.

Can a reconstruction save my natural teeth?

Yes, whenever the roots are sound. Crowns rebuild worn and broken teeth, root canal therapy clears infection so a tooth can stay, and extraction is reserved for teeth that cannot be stabilized. Keeping a natural root preserves the bone around it, which is why saving teeth is the default in every plan, not the exception.

How long does a full mouth rehabilitation last?

In our experience, crowns and bridges deliver 10 to 15 years of service, implants commonly last 20 to 30 years or more, and dentures wear with daily use. The single biggest factor is maintenance: regular dental exams and cleanings catch small problems at the margins before they undo the work.

Full Mouth Reconstruction in Harlan, Iowa

Q: How much does full mouth reconstruction cost?

In Iowa, full mouth reconstruction typically runs from around $15,000 for crown-based plans to $50,000 or more when both arches are rebuilt on implants. The spread is wide because no two plans contain the same procedures. You receive a written, itemized quote after your exam and 3D scan, so your number comes from your mouth, not a brochure. Full mouth restoration cost is the same question under a different name, and the same range applies.

When most of your teeth are worn, damaged, or missing, fixing them one at a time stops making sense. A full mouth reconstruction rebuilds your whole bite with one coordinated plan, completed under one roof here in Harlan.

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(712) 755-5342

Full Mouth Reconstruction at Markham Family Dental Associates

Some mouths have been through a lot. Years of decay, dental work that keeps failing, teeth ground flat overnight, or several teeth already gone. A full mouth reconstruction takes all of it on at once instead of patching one tooth at a time. Dr. Roy Burkhalter and our team plan and complete the entire treatment in our Harlan office. Implant surgery, crowns from our own in-house lab, gum care, and IV sedation, with no referrals to other offices.

Explore Topics on this Page

What is full mouth reconstruction?

Signs you may need one

What your plan can include

The process, step by step

Cost and insurance

Frequently asked questions

What Is Full Mouth Reconstruction?

Full mouth reconstruction is one coordinated treatment plan that rebuilds most or all of your teeth at the same time. It combines procedures such as dental implants, crowns, bridges, dentures, root canal therapy, and gum treatment in a planned sequence, so your bite, your oral health, and your appearance are restored together rather than tooth by tooth.

Dentists use several names for the same approach. Full mouth restoration, full mouth rehabilitation (often shortened to full mouth rehab), whole mouth restoration, dental reconstruction, and teeth reconstruction all describe one complete dental restoration of the mouth. Some plans rebuild the bite mostly with full mouth crowns. Others rebuild it on implants, or with a mix of both. A smile makeover is a different service: cosmetic dentistry performed on teeth that are already healthy, while reconstruction restores health and function first and builds the appearance in along the way.

Reconstruction is also broader than full mouth dental implants. Implants replace teeth that are already gone, while a reconstruction evaluates every tooth and keeps the ones worth keeping. When a full arch reconstruction on implants truly is the right call, options such as All-on-X become one part of the plan. The first question is never which product to choose. It is which of your teeth can still be saved, and the signs below usually answer it.

Signs You May Need Full Mouth Reconstruction

Most people who need a reconstruction have lived with dental problems for years. These are the six patterns we see most often in Harlan.

Decay Across Several Teeth

When decay reaches many teeth at once, single fillings stop solving the problem. Each repair buys time while the next tooth breaks down. A reconstruction treats the decay everywhere it exists and rebuilds the damaged teeth in one sequence, so you stop cycling through one emergency fix after another.

Multiple missing teeth

Tooth loss compounds. Every gap shifts more chewing load onto the teeth that remain, they drift and wear faster, and the bone under each empty space slowly shrinks. Some people are also born with teeth that never developed, a condition called hypodontia. Replacing missing teeth together protects the bite and the jawbone at the same time.

Worn down or eroded teeth

Years of grinding or acid exposure leave teeth short, flat, and sensitive. As tooth height collapses, the bite closes deeper and the lower face changes shape. A few people inherit enamel that never formed properly. Rebuilding the teeth restores their height and gives the jaw back the support it lost.

Cracked Teeth and Failing Dental Work

Crowns, bridges, and large fillings are built to last 10 to 15 years, but on an unstable bite they can fail in half that time. Cracked or broken teeth follow the same pattern. When you are replacing the same dental work every few years, the fix is not another repair. It is rebuilding the foundation those repairs sit on.

Gum disease and bone loss

eriodontal disease loosens teeth and dissolves the bone and soft tissue that hold them. No crown or implant succeeds on an infected foundation, which is why gum disease therapy is the first phase of many reconstructions, before any new teeth go in.

Jaw Pain and a Bite That No Longer Fits

When teeth shift, wear down, or go missing, the jaw muscles and joints compensate. Headaches, jaw soreness, and TMJ symptoms often follow. An injury can cause the same collapse all at once. Rebuilding the bite lets the joint and the muscles finally rest.

What a Reconstruction Can Include

A reconstruction is not one procedure. It is the right mix of these, in the right order, based on what your mouth actually needs. Teeth that can be saved are saved. Teeth that cannot are replaced.

Dental Implants

A titanium post replaces the missing tooth root, and a crown from our lab goes on top. We plan every implant with a CBCT 3D scan. Implants handle anything from one missing tooth to anchoring a full arch.

Full-Mouth Dental Implants

Helpful when both arches need major restoration or when most of the smile needs to be rebuilt.

Implant-Supported Dentures

A denture that snaps onto implants instead of resting on your gums. It stays put when you chew and speak.

Zygomatic Implants

May help patients with significant upper-jaw bone loss who were told they were not candidates for traditional implants.

Porcelain Veneers

Finishes the smile once the foundation is healthy, covering front teeth that are sound but worn or discolored. Veneers and professional teeth whitening are the last layer of a reconstruction, not the first.

Dental Crowns

Rebuilds a tooth that is cracked, worn, or heavily filled but still worth saving. Each crown is made in our in-house lab.

Dental Bridges

Replaces one or a few missing teeth in a row without surgery, anchored by crowns on the neighboring teeth. Often the right tool when those anchor teeth need crowns anyway.

Root Canal Treatment

Clears infection from inside a tooth so it can be sealed, crowned, and kept. Saving a natural root preserves the bone around it, which matters in a mouth already losing support.

Gum Disease Therapy

Treats infection in the gums and soft tissue before anything is built. Periodontal disease is the most common reason reconstructions fail early, so healthy gums come first in nearly every plan.

Tooth Extractions

Removes teeth that cannot be saved, with bone grafting to rebuild support where an implant will go.

The Full Mouth Reconstruction Process

Consultation and 3D Planning

We start with a full exam, a CBCT 3D scan, and an honest conversation about what is failing and why. The scan shows your bone, your roots, and your bite as one system, so nothing in your plan rests on guesswork.

Choosing the Right Reconstruction Plan

Dr. Burkhalter maps which teeth can be saved and which need replacing, then sequences every procedure into one written plan. You see the order, the timeline, the sedation options, and the full cost before anything starts.

Gum Treatment and Extractions, If Needed

Infected gums are treated and teeth that cannot be saved are removed. Bone grafting rebuilds support where implants will go. This phase is the foundation, and some patients skip it entirely.

Implant Placement and Restorative Work

Implants are placed where teeth are being replaced, and the teeth that are staying are prepared for their crowns or restorations. IV sedation is available for the surgical visits.

Temporary Teeth and Healing

You wear natural-looking temporaries while the implants bond with your bone. Healing time between phases is normal and built into the plan from the start, usually a few months for implant sites.

Final Teeth and Bite Adjustments

Your permanent crowns, bridges, or new arches come out of our in-house lab and are fitted one by one. We adjust until the bite meets evenly everywhere, then protect the result with regular checkups.

How Much Does Full Mouth Reconstruction Cost?

Full mouth reconstruction in Iowa typically runs from around $15,000 for plans built on crowns and gum therapy to $50,000 or more, which reflects the cost of full mouth dental implants when both arches are rebuilt. The spread is wide because no two plans contain the same work: the number of teeth involved, the procedures, the materials and lab time, and your sedation choices all move the total. After your exam and 3D scan, you receive a written, itemized treatment plan, so the full price is on paper before treatment begins.

	Fixing One Tooth at a Time	One Coordinated Reconstruction
Planning	Each problem is treated as it appears	Every tooth, your gums, and your bite are planned together from one 3D scan
Appointments	Many separate visits, spread over years	Phases scheduled in sequence, with fewer total visits
How cost works	Each repair is billed separately, and repairs often repeat	One written, itemized plan, with the full cost visible upfront
Insurance	Coverage is checked claim by claim	Benefits are verified upfront for the whole plan
The result	Repairs that keep fighting the same failing bite	A stable bite designed to last, with restorations from our in-house lab

Most patients combine three sources. Dental insurance covers the medically necessary parts of a reconstruction, commonly around 50 percent for major services such as extractions, gum treatment, and crowns, up to the plan's annual maximum. We accept most PPO plans, including Delta Dental, MetLife, Cigna, Aetna, Guardian, and Anthem Blue Cross. CareCredit and Alphaeon financing spread the remainder into monthly payments. And because treatment happens in phases, the cost arrives in phases too, not as one bill. Our front office verifies your benefits before anything is scheduled. Once the numbers are settled, what changes is daily life.

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What Changes After a Full Mouth Reconstruction`

You Eat Without Thinking About It

Most people with failing teeth quietly re-engineer how they eat. Softer foods, one side of the mouth, smaller bites. A reconstruction restores a bite that works everywhere, so eating stops being a calculation.

Daily Pain and Sensitivity Fade

Toothaches, temperature sensitivity, and jaw soreness usually trace back to infection, exposed dentin, or a collapsed bite. Treating the cause is built into the plan, and for most patients the background pain stops being part of the day.

You Smile Without Holding Back

After years of hiding damaged teeth, the closed-lip smile becomes a habit. Your new teeth are designed for your face and crafted in our own lab, and they look like they belong to you.

A Healthier Mouth That Is Easier to Keep

Reconstruction clears out decay and gum infection, then replaces failing surfaces with materials that clean predictably. Checkups become maintenance instead of bad news. With normal home care, the result is built to last for many years.

Why Choose Markham

Markham Family Dental has treated Shelby County families since 1990, and some reconstruction patients first sat in our chairs as kids. Dr. Burkhalter plans every case himself, on your scan, around the teeth you actually have.

A Team That Knows Your Story

Meet the Team

In-house CBCT 3D imaging shows your bone, nerves, and bite before anything starts. The plan you approve is the plan we follow, and your new teeth are made in our own lab a few steps from your chair.

Technology That Makes the Plan Clear

Our Technology

A reconstruction elsewhere usually means a surgeon in one city, a restorative dentist in another, and a lab in a third. Patients searching for a full mouth reconstruction specialist find the surgery, the lab work, and every follow-up in one Harlan office.

Treatment Close to Home

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Words From Our Patients

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about dental bridges in Harlan, Iowa.

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Exterior of the Markham Family Dental Associates office at 2105 Pine St, Harlan, Iowa

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Patient Forms

Download and complete your forms before your appointment to save time when you arrive. Plan to come in 10 to 15 minutes early so we can get you settled.

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Insurance and Financing

We work with many PPO dental insurance plans and can file claims on your behalf when insurance applies. Financing options may be available for patients who need flexible payment options. Ask our front desk what works best for your situation.

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