What is Oral Surgery?
Oral surgery includes the diagnosis and surgical treatment of diseases, injuries and defects of the hard and soft tissues of the face, mouth, teeth and jaws.
While we always try to use the least invasive treatment option for a given dental problem, there are times when less invasive treatment options are simply insufficient and oral surgery is required.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is a small titanium screw that works in the same way as a natural tooth root. Dental implants are used by our dentists to replace missing teeth and help you restore your smile. A dental implant, when combined with a tooth replacement such as a crown or bridge, has the appearance and feel of a natural tooth.
Gum Grafts
A gum graft is a procedure that involves removing gum tissue from the roof of the mouth and transplanting it to another area of the gums. To protect your oral health, 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.
Tooth Extractions & Wisdom Tooth Removal
While it's always preferable to save a natural tooth, there are some cases where it's not possible. If a tooth is too badly damaged as a result of decay, gum disease or injury, it may need to be removed by your dentist.
Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to emerge in the back corners of an adult's mouth. If your wisdom teeth are interfering with your oral hygiene, your dentist may advise you to have them extracted to help preserve your oral health.
Bone Grafts
A bone grafting procedure is one in which your dentist adds bone tissue to your jaw bone, typically in preparation for a dental implant. If your dentist believes that your jaw bone is too thin or soft to support an implant, he or she may recommend a bone graft.
Your dentist will graft bone from another part of your body or special bone grafting material onto your jaw bone during a bone graft procedure.
If the reason for the bone graft was a dental implant, it can be placed once the bone graft has healed.