There are many types of oral surgery, and many reasons why you might need it. The oral surgeons at Lovett Dental Corpus Christi are highly trained in all areas of the face, mouth, and jaw, as well as in anesthesiology.
Oral Surgery for Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, grow irregularly during late adolescence and the mid-twenties. Sometimes, you may have impacted wisdom teeth, which is when wisdom teeth grow in the pathway of another tooth. Wisdom teeth may fail to emerge completely. That’s when you need oral surgery to remove your wisdom teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause gum infections, tumors, or cysts. Meet with one of our dentists to determine if your jawbone is large enough to handle the additional wisdom teeth. If your jawbone is too small, it may be better to remove your wisdom teeth before they emerge. You’ll also want to make an appointment if you experience bad breath or persistent pain in the back of your mouth. Wisdom tooth extraction is a one-day, outpatient procedure for which you will be put under anesthetic. Delaying a wisdom tooth surgery is not wise. The longer a problematic wisdom tooth remains, the more likely it is to cause future complications.
At Lovett Dental Corpus Christi, we offer a number of dental services in addition to oral procedures. These include:
Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that can help reconstruct your jaw for cosmetic purposes or to prepare your jaw for dental implants. The extent of your surgery will depend on how much existing jawbone there is to work with, how many teeth are missing, and how long those teeth have been missing. There are three main types of bone grafting surgeries, including, socket preservation, ridge augmentation, and sinus lift.
The type of surgery you need will depend on where the oral surgeon will install the implants. Sinus lifts are performed if you want to install dental implants to replace missing teeth in your upper jaw. During the surgery, the oral surgeon strengthens the bone that separates your sinuses from your teeth until it can support the new implants. Ridge augmentation surgery thickens the alveolar ridges in your jaw to make them strong enough for new dental implants. Socket preservation is a procedure to lessen the amount of bone loss after a tooth is extracted.
Oral Surgery for Tooth Extraction
Sometimes, your tooth has decayed so much that the oral surgeon has no choice but to extract it. Tooth extraction surgery doesn’t have to be stressful. Even if severe trauma or an accident results in the extraction of your tooth, the dentist can replace the missing tooth with a dental implant. Our surgeons will only remove your tooth if there are no other viable options to save the tooth.
During the surgical extraction, your surgeon will delve underneath your gum and break your tooth into smaller pieces for easier removal. After the surgery, you’ll be eligible for dental implants. Dental implants look and feel exactly like natural teeth. Hundreds of thousands of Americans get dental implants on an annual basis. No one can tell the difference between the dental implant and your original tooth.
Anesthesia and Sedation
Oral surgery can be painful without some level of sedation dentistry or anesthesia. Many patients opt for IV anesthesia or a local numbing shot. A simple oral surgery experience, like minor tooth extraction, may only require the local anesthetic. The oral surgeon may decide to use laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, in addition to the local anesthetic for more complicated surgeries like the insertion of implants or the removal of wisdom teeth. The surgeon will administer the laughing gas through a mask that he’ll place over your face. If you do opt for IV anesthesia, make sure that you have a friend or relative accompany you to your surgery as you will not be in any condition to drive after the surgery.
Oral Surgery at Lovett Dental Corpus Christi
If you’re experiencing constant pain in your teeth or gums, don’t hesitate to contact us. For more information and to meet one of our surgeons at Lovett Dental Corpus Christi, call 361-986-1117.