New Hanover County · Since 1987
Full Mouth Rehabilitation in Carolina Beach, NC
Full mouth rehabilitation rebuilds a worn, broken down or collapsed bite. It is the largest thing we do and it is sequenced over months, sometimes over a year.
- Three doctors, one location
- Sedation available
- Most major plans accepted
- Written estimates before treatment
Understanding full mouth rehabilitation
Patients arrive here after years of piecemeal repair: a crown in 2011, an extraction in 2016, a partial that never fit. At some point treating one tooth at a time stops working, because the bite itself is the problem.
Full detail on full mouth rehabilitation ›
Patients from Carolina Beach
Nearly half the housing on Pleasure Island is seasonal, so the year-round community here is smaller and often skips routine care for years at a time.
Year-round residents in a seasonal town often go years between visits because the summer is too busy and the winter feels like the wrong time to start. Restorative work planned in the off-season avoids both problems.
Pleasure Island's year-round community is roughly a third the size of its summer population, and dental care here is often deferred through the busy months.
Snow's Cut Bridge is the single point of access, so we schedule Carolina Beach appointments with the season in mind.
A significant share of the island's year-round workforce is in hospitality without employer dental coverage, and we handle those cases with payment plans rather than assumptions.
We see patients from across Carolina Beach and the surrounding area, including the Boardwalk, Carolina Beach State Park, Snow's Cut and the 28428 ZIP code.
New Hanover County is the built-out core of the region, growing around one percent a year, with roughly 21 percent of residents over 65 and the highest concentration of employer dental coverage in southeastern North Carolina.
Start large treatment in the autumn. The planning and provisional phases run through the quiet months and the finished result is in place before the season picks up.
We keep same-day slots open for Pleasure Island because a chipped tooth on a Saturday should not wait until the season ends.
You may be a candidate if
- Teeth worn short across the whole arch
- Multiple missing and failing teeth at once
- A bite that has collapsed and changed your facial profile
- Chronic jaw pain alongside extensive wear
- Years of separate repairs that keep failing
The sequence of appointments
- Comprehensive recordsPhotographs, scans, mounted models and a joint assessment.
- Diagnostic wax-upThe proposed end result is built in wax before any treatment starts.
- Provisional phaseYou wear the new bite in temporary form, often for months, and we adjust it.
- Definitive restorationBuilt to the position proved out in the provisionals.
- MaintenanceA protective guard and a tighter recall interval.
Afterwards
You will wear a protective night guard indefinitely. Hygiene visits move to a three or four month interval. Treated properly, this work lasts decades. Neglected, it does not.
If you are away for part of the year, tell us your dates at the start and we will build the schedule around them.
What it costs
Full mouth rehabilitation is a substantial investment and we treat it that way. You get a written, phased plan with costs per phase, so it can be staged over time rather than committed to at once. We go through financing in detail at the planning appointment.
If your income is seasonal, say so at the consultation. We can time treatment phases to the part of the year that suits your cash flow.
In their own words
Hear from Dr. Carter Lee
Dr. Lee on fixing only what needs fixing, and what it is like to hand a patient the mirror after a smile transformation.
Questions we get asked
Will I be without teeth at any point?
No. You are in provisional restorations throughout.
Why is the planning phase so long?
Because the bite position is the whole case. Proving it in provisionals before building the final work is what stops it failing in year three.
How far is your office from Carolina Beach?
About 15 miles, or roughly 28 minutes via US-421 North over Snow's Cut Bridge. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Carolina Beach?
Regularly. Carolina Beach is part of our core service area in New Hanover County, and we keep same-day slots open for Pleasure Island because a chipped tooth on a Saturday should not wait until the season ends.
What are your hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message or use the appointment request form and we will come back to you with the first available time.
Full Mouth Rehabilitation · Carolina Beach, NC
You have probably been told several different things about this.
Bring the opinions you have already been given. We will look at your scan with you and say which parts we agree with.
- Three doctors, 50+ years of combined experience
- Implant surgery and restoration in one building
- Sedation available for longer appointments
- Written, phased treatment plans with costs attached
Worried it is too much work at your age? Health matters far more than the number, and we will tell you if we think a smaller plan serves you better.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
