Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
Reconstructive oral surgery in Pompano Beach at South Florida Smile Spa rebuilds what has been lost in the mouth: the bone that disappears after teeth are extracted or destroyed by gum disease, the gum tissue that recedes or is scarred by infection, the ridge that has been flattened by years of dentures, and the teeth themselves. It is the surgical foundation under dental implants, implant dentures and full mouth reconstruction, and it is also how a mouth is put back together after an accident, a failed bridge, or dentistry that did not hold up. This page explains what reconstructive surgery covers, who does which part, how a case is planned and staged, and what to expect along the way.
Quick answer
Reconstructive oral surgery is the set of procedures that rebuild jawbone and gum tissue so that teeth can be replaced and the mouth can function and look normal again: socket preservation and ridge augmentation after extractions, bone grafts and sinus lifts for implants, soft tissue grafts, removal of failed or hopeless teeth and old infected roots, and implant placement, usually staged over several months. At South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach, Dr. Berger plans the whole reconstruction from a 3D scan and makes the final teeth; our periodontist performs the surgical phases in the same office, with sedation available. Jaw fractures, facial injuries and major jaw tumors are hospital procedures and are referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, with Dr. Berger coordinating the dental rebuilding afterward.
Who Needs It
Situations that call for reconstruction
- Teeth lost years ago. Bone shrinks as soon as a tooth is gone, up to a quarter of its width in the first year, and after a decade there may be too little for an implant without rebuilding it first.
- Advanced gum disease. Periodontitis destroys bone around teeth that are then lost, leaving craters and thin ridges that have to be grafted before anything can be anchored.
- Long-term denture wear. Pressure from a denture flattens the ridge until the denture no longer stays in, which is the usual story behind an implant-retained denture.
- Trauma. Teeth knocked out or roots fractured in a fall or sports injury, with the bone around them broken or lost. Dental trauma is treated here; jaw and facial fractures are referred to a hospital surgeon first.
- Failed dentistry. Old bridges on teeth that have since failed, implants placed in poor bone that have loosened, or infection left behind under an old root, all of which have to be cleared and rebuilt before new work.
The American Dental Association’s page on dental implants explains why healthy bone and gum are the prerequisite for everything that follows.
The building blocks of a reconstruction
| Procedure | What it does | When it is used | Healing before the next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socket preservation | Bone graft placed in the socket at the time of extraction | Any tooth removed where an implant is planned, to stop the ridge collapsing | 3 to 4 months |
| Ridge augmentation | Rebuilds width or height of a ridge that has already shrunk, with graft and a membrane | Teeth lost years ago; thin ridges after gum disease or dentures | 4 to 6 months |
| Sinus lift | Adds bone height beneath the maxillary sinus | Implants in the upper back jaw | 4 to 9 months |
| Soft tissue graft | Thickens or adds gum tissue around teeth or implants | Thin, receded or scarred gum; before implant crowns in the smile zone | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Extraction of hopeless teeth and old roots | Removes teeth and infection that cannot be saved | The first step of most reconstructions | Often combined with grafting the same day |
| Implant placement | Titanium roots placed in rebuilt bone | Single teeth, bridges, implant dentures, All-on-4 | 3 to 6 months before the final teeth |
| Restoration | Crowns, bridges, implant dentures or a full arch, made by Dr. Berger | The finish of every reconstruction | Reviewed at routine visits |
The Process
How a reconstruction is planned and staged
- Records. A 3D cone-beam scan, photographs, a digital scan of the teeth and a periodontal chart. The scan shows exactly how much bone exists, where the nerves and sinuses are, and what has to be rebuilt.
- Design the end first. Dr. Berger designs the final teeth, whether a single crown or a full arch, and works backward: where the implants must go, and therefore where bone and gum must be rebuilt. Our periodontist plans the surgery to that design.
- One written plan. Every phase, its timing, its cost and what insurance covers, on paper, with temporaries planned so you are never without teeth.
- Surgical phases. Extractions and grafts first, usually together; sinus lift or ridge augmentation if needed; implants once the bone has healed, sometimes at the same visit. Each is done under local anesthetic with nitrous oxide or IV sedation provided by Dr. Berger.
- Restoration. Once the implants have integrated, the final crowns, bridge or implant denture are made and fitted, and the bite is balanced.
- Maintenance. Implants and grafted gum need the same care as teeth, so the plan ends with a hygiene schedule, usually every three to four months at first.
How long it takes, honestly
Bone heals on its own schedule, and no amount of technology shortens it much. A single missing tooth with good bone can be an implant in one visit and a crown three months later. A tooth that has to be extracted and grafted first adds three to four months. A sinus lift or ridge augmentation adds four to nine months before the implant. A full-arch reconstruction on a resorbed jaw, with extractions, grafting, implants and a final prosthesis, commonly runs nine to eighteen months from the first surgery to the final teeth, though an immediate-load approach such as All-on-4 can give you fixed temporary teeth on the day of implant surgery when the bone allows. Dr. Berger lays out the realistic timeline at the planning visit and builds temporaries into every gap, so you are never without teeth you can be seen in.
What we refer, and why
Some reconstruction belongs in a hospital. Fractures of the jaw or facial bones, deep facial lacerations, large jaw tumors and cysts, reconstruction after cancer surgery, and surgery to reposition the jaws are performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons with operating-room facilities, and we refer those patients directly and promptly. What we do is the dental half of those cases: once the surgeon has stabilized the jaw or rebuilt it with a bone flap, Dr. Berger and our periodontist rebuild the ridge, place implants and make the teeth, in coordination with the surgical team. If you have been through facial trauma or jaw surgery and been told the dental part comes later, this is the part.
Reconstruction after trauma
A tooth knocked out or a root fractured in an accident is a dental emergency and is seen the same day; our emergency page explains what to do in the first hour. Once the acute injury is managed, the reconstructive questions are whether the tooth can be saved, whether the bone around it is intact, and how to hold the space while a young patient finishes growing, since implants wait until growth is complete. A broken front tooth is often splinted, root-treated and crowned; a tooth that cannot be saved is removed with socket preservation so an implant is possible later, and a bonded temporary fills the gap meanwhile. The sequence is planned so that nothing done now closes off the best option later.
Cost and insurance
A reconstruction is priced by its phases: extractions and grafts, implants, and the final restoration, each with its own fee and its own insurance category. Dental plans typically cover extractions and part of bone grafting, cover implants on some plans and not others, and cover crowns and dentures at 50 percent, all subject to an annual maximum that a reconstruction will usually exceed in the first year, which is why phases are often sequenced across two plan years. Medical insurance occasionally contributes when tooth loss followed injury or disease. Our team verifies every benefit, builds the schedule around your maximums, and gives you one written plan with every phase priced before anything is scheduled. Financing is available for implant and reconstructive treatment. Our full mouth reconstruction page covers the restorative side in detail.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa for reconstructive surgery
- Surgery and teeth in one office. Our periodontist does the grafting and implants; Dr. Berger plans the case and makes the final teeth; the same records and the same team from first scan to last crown.
- Planned from the result backward. The final teeth are designed first, so every graft and implant is placed where the restoration needs it.
- Never without teeth. Temporaries are built into every phase of the plan.
- Sedation in-house. Nitrous oxide or IV sedation provided by Dr. Berger under her Florida sedation permit for every surgical phase.
- Honest scope. What belongs in a hospital is referred without delay, and we rebuild the dental side afterward in step with the surgical team.
Patients come to us for reconstructive oral surgery from Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek, often after being told elsewhere that there is not enough bone. A scan will show what can be rebuilt.
Missing teeth, lost bone, or dentistry that failed
Book a reconstructive consultation with a 3D scan. You will see what has been lost, what can be rebuilt, how long it takes, and what every phase costs, before you decide anything.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between reconstructive surgery and full mouth reconstruction?
Reconstructive surgery is the surgical foundation: rebuilding bone and gum, removing hopeless teeth, placing implants. Full mouth reconstruction is the restorative plan that sits on top of it, the crowns, bridges, veneers or implant teeth that restore the bite and the smile. Most large cases involve both, planned together, with our periodontist doing the surgery and Dr. Berger the restoration.
I was told I do not have enough bone for implants. Is that final?
Rarely. Bone can be rebuilt with grafting, a sinus lift or ridge augmentation in most jaws, and where it cannot, angled or zygomatic implants often avoid the problem. A cone-beam scan shows exactly what exists and what would need to be added. The honest answer is sometimes that reconstruction will take longer or cost more than a simple implant, not that it cannot be done.
How long does reconstructive surgery take from start to finish?
A single grafted site to a finished implant crown is about six to nine months. A full-arch reconstruction on a resorbed jaw commonly runs nine to eighteen months, because bone grafts and implants each need months to heal. Temporaries are planned for every stage, and immediate-load approaches such as All-on-4 can give fixed teeth on the day of surgery when the bone allows.
Who performs reconstructive surgery at South Florida Smile Spa?
Our periodontist, who comes to the office to perform extractions, bone and soft tissue grafts, sinus lifts and implant placement. Dr. Berger plans the reconstruction from the final teeth backward, provides sedation, and makes the crowns, bridges or implant dentures. Jaw fractures, facial injuries and major jaw tumors are referred to a hospital oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Will I be without teeth during the reconstruction?
No. A temporary is planned for every phase: a bonded tooth, a flipper, a temporary bridge, or an immediate denture, so you can eat and be seen throughout. For full-arch cases, an immediate-load protocol can place fixed temporary teeth on the implants the day they are placed, when the bone is good enough.
Is the surgery painful?
Each phase is done under local anesthetic, with nitrous oxide or IV sedation available so you can be unaware of it. Afterward, expect swelling and soreness for several days, worse for larger grafts and multiple extractions, managed with prescribed medication and a soft diet. Most patients are back to normal activity within a week of each phase.
Can reconstruction be done after an accident?
Yes. Dental trauma, knocked-out or fractured teeth and damaged sockets, is treated here from the emergency visit onward, with the reconstruction planned so that no early decision closes off a later option. Jaw or facial fractures are stabilized first by a hospital surgeon, and we rebuild the dental side once the bones have healed.
Does insurance cover reconstructive surgery?
In parts. Extractions and some grafting are usually covered; implants depend on the plan; crowns and dentures are typically covered at 50 percent; everything is subject to an annual maximum, so large cases are sequenced across plan years. Medical insurance sometimes contributes after injury or disease. We verify every benefit and give you one written plan with each phase priced.
Do you see patients from outside Pompano Beach?
Yes. Patients come for reconstructive oral surgery and implants from Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek and across Broward County, and visits are grouped for those who travel. The office is at 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach. Call (954) 785-1100 or request an appointment.