Diagnostic

• Dental Examination
  With an oral examination and x-rays of the mouth, Dr. Menton can evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth and predict if there may be present or future problems. Studies have shown that early evaluation and treatment result in a superior outcome for the patient. Patients are generally first evaluated in the mid- teenage years by their dentist, orthodontist or by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
• X-rays

Restorative

• Crowns
  Treatment may also require a referral to an oral surgeon for extraction of over retained baby teeth and/or selected adult teeth that are blocking the eruption of the all important eye teeth. The oral surgeon will also need to remove any extra teeth (supernumerary teeth) or growths that are blocking eruption of any of the adult teeth. If the eruption path is cleared and the space is opened up by age 11 or 12, there is a good chance the impacted eye tooth will erupt with nature’s help alone. If the eye tooth is allowed to develop too much (age 13-14), the impacted eye tooth will not erupt by itself even with the space cleared for its eruption. If the patient is too old (over 40), there is a much higher chance the tooth will be fused in position. In these cases the tooth will not budge despite all the efforts of the orthodontist and oral surgeon to erupt it into place. Sadly, the only option at this point is to extract the impacted tooth and consider an alternate treatment to replace it in the dental arch (crown on a dental implant or a fixed bridge).
• Bridges
  A single prosthesis (crown) is used to replace one missing tooth – each prosthetic tooth attaches to its own implant. A partial prosthesis (fixed bridge) can replace two or more teeth and may require only two or three implants. A complete dental prosthesis (fixed bridge) replaces all the teeth in your upper or lower jaw. The number of implants varies depending upon which type of complete prosthesis (removable or fixed) is recommended. A removable prosthesis (over denture) attaches to a bar or or a snap-in locator, whereas a fixed prosthesis is permanent and removable only by the dentist.
• Dental Bonding

Endodontics

• Root Canal Treatment
  Isolated injuries to teeth are quite common and may require the expertise of various dental specialists. Oral surgeons usually are involved in treating fractures in the supporting bone or in replanting teeth that have been displaced or knocked out. These types of injuries are treated by one of a number of forms of splinting (stabilizing by wiring or bonding teeth together). If a tooth is knocked out, it should be placed in salt water or milk. The sooner the tooth is re-inserted into the dental socket, the better chance it will survive. Therefore, the patient should see a dentist or oral surgeon as soon as possible. Never attempt to wipe the tooth off, since remnants of the ligament that hold the tooth in the jaw are attached and are vital to the success of replanting the tooth. Other dental specialists may be called upon such as endodontists, who may be asked to perform root canal therapy, and/or restorative dentists who may need to repair or rebuild fractured teeth. In the event that injured teeth cannot be saved or repaired, dental implants are often now utilized as replacements for missing teeth.

Prosthodontics

• Dentures
  A small amount of bleeding is to be expected following the operation. If bleeding occurs, place a gauze pad directly over the bleeding socket and apply biting pressure for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues, a moist tea bag can be used for 30 minutes. If bleeding occurs, avoid hot liquids, exercise, and elevate the head. If bleeding persists, call our office immediately. Do not remove immediate denture unless the bleeding is severe. Expect some oozing around the side of the denture.

Implants

• Dental Implants
  To provide you with a better understanding of placement of dental implants, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to dental implants are discussed.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Surgery
  The surgical staff at Arlington Texas Oral Surgery are experienced oral and maxillofacial surgical assistants, who assist in administration of I.V. sedation and surgery. All staff are informed administrative personnel, well-versed in health and insurance policies and are CPR certified.
• Jaw Surgery
  In more complex cases, the bones of the upper and lower jaw may be repositioned to increase the size of the airway ( Orthognathic Surgery ). This procedure is done in the hospital under general anesthesia and requires 1 to 2 days overnight stay in the hospital.
• Pre-prosthetic Surgery
• Gum Surgery
  Shortly after surgery (1-14 days) the patient will return to the orthodontist. A rubber band will be attached to the chain to put a light eruptive pulling force on the impacted tooth. This will begin the process of moving the tooth into its proper place in the dental arch. This is a carefully controlled, slow process that may take up to a full year to complete. Remember, the goal is to erupt the impacted tooth and not to extract it! Once the tooth is moved into the arch in its final position, the gum around it will be evaluated to make sure it is sufficiently strong and healthy to last for a lifetime of chewing and tooth brushing. In some circumstances, especially those where the tooth had to be moved a long distance, there may be some minor “gum surgery” required to add bulk to the gum tissue over the relocated tooth so it remains healthy during normal function. Your dentist or orthodontist will explain this situation to you if it applies to your specific situation.
• Maxillofacial Surgery
  Dr. Ed Menton was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and raised in Dallas. He is a Board-certified Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon who received his undergraduate education at the University of Texas at Arlington, and his Doctorate in Dental Surgery degree from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1966. He completed his Internship at the San Francisco General Hospital and his first year of residency at the Robert B. Green Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. His last three years of training was completed at Parkland Hospital in conjunction with the University of Texas Health Science Center. He started his private practice of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Arlington, Texas in 1971. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and belongs to a number of organizations: American Dental Association, Texas Dental Association, Texas Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Southwest Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He is a member of the Fort Worth District Dental Society and the Arlington Dental Study Club.
• Tooth Extractions
  To provide you with a better understanding of wisdom tooth extraction, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to wisdom tooth extraction are discussed.
• Ridge Augmentation
  Bone grafting for dental implants. This includes onlay and inlay grafts, sinus lift procedures, ridge augmentation procedures, and closure of cleft, lip and palate defects.
• Bone Grafting
  Ease of use: PRP is easy to handle and actually improves the ease of application of bone substitute materials and bone grafting products by making them more gel-like.

Orthodontics

• Orthodontics
  If your TMJ disorder has caused problems with how your teeth fit together, you may need treatment such as bite adjustment (equilibration), orthodontics with or without jaw reconstruction, or restorative dental work. Surgical options such as arthroscopy and open joint repair restructuring are sometimes needed but are reserved for severe cases. Dr. Menton does not consider TMJ surgery unless the jaw can’t open, is dislocated and nonreducible, has severe degeneration, or the patient has undergone appliance treatment unsuccessfully.
• Braces
  Since all distraction osteogenesis surgical procedures are done while the patient is under general anesthesia, pain during the surgical procedure is not an issue. Postoperatively, you will be supplied with appropriate analgesics (pain killers) to keep you comfortable, and antibiotics to fight off infection. Activation of the distraction device to slowly separate the bones may cause some patients mild discomfort. In general, the slow movement of bony segments produces discomfort roughly analogous to having braces tightened.