What is Oral Surgery?
Oral surgery refers to the surgical treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects of the hard and soft tissues of the face, mouth, teeth, and jaw.
Even with routine dental care and good oral hygiene habits, unexpected oral health issues can still arise. There are many reasons you may need to have oral surgery, including extensive tooth damage or advanced gum disease. These dental conditions cannot improve on their own and are too advanced for non-invasive treatments.
If we recommend oral surgery, we will explain each step of the procedure in plain language. Additionally, we offer dental sedation, so you don't have to worry about feeling any pain as the procedure is being performed.
After your surgery, your dentist will provide detailed post-operative instructions you'll need to follow during your recovery. You'll also be prescribed pain medication to help alleviate any soreness.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is a small titanium screw that functions like a natural tooth root. Our dentists place dental implants as part of the process to replace a missing tooth and assist in restoring your smile. A dental implant, together with a tooth replacement such as a crown or bridge, should look and feel much like a natural tooth.
Gum Grafts
A gum graft is a procedure where gum tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth and transplanted onto another area of the gums. A gum graft can help to cover exposed tooth roots, repair receding gums, and reduce associated symptoms such as severe tooth sensitivity or eventual tooth loss, to protect your oral health.
Tooth Extractions
A tooth extraction is a procedure to remove a tooth that has become too decayed, diseased, or damaged to be saved. While it is always preferable to save a natural tooth, if less invasive treatments won't work, an extraction may be necessary to restore your oral health. After the procedure, your dentist may discuss tooth replacement options with you, which may include crowns, bridges, or dentures.
Wisdom Tooth Removal
As you enter adulthood, your final set of molars, or wisdom teeth, will erupt in the back corners of your mouth. While they can grow in without causing issues for your oral health, there are many cases where they need to be removed surgically. If the wisdom teeth are causing pain or crowding of other teeth, your dentist may recommend having them extracted.
Frenectomy
The frenum connects your cheeks, tongue or lips to your gums. We perform frenectomies for babies, children and adults whose frenum is restricting the movement of the mouth and tongue, commonly referred to as tongue-tied, lip-tied or cheek-tied. The frenum can be surgically altered to increase the range of motion of your mouth or tongue.
Bone Grafts & Sinus Lifts
If you need a dental implant but your jaw has started to deteriorate, a bone graft may help strengthen it enough to support the implant. If you need a dental implant in the molar and premolar areas, a sinus lift may be performed to add bone to the upper back jaw to increase the volume of bone tissue in the sinus area to support the implant.