- Dental ImplantsA plastic or metal anchor that is inserted into a jawbone to provide permanent support for a crown, fixed bridge, or denture when the bone itself would provide insufficient support. About 8 weeks after a tooth or teeth are removed, the anchor is screwed into a hole that has been drilled into the jaw. New bone is allowed to grow around and fuse with the anchor for up to 6 months before the crown, bridge, or denture is attached.
- Oral SurgeryThe branch of dentistry concerned with the surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries, and deformities of the oral and maxillofacial region.
- Pre-prosthetic SurgeryPre-prosthetic Surgery is an Oral and Maxillofacial procedure to prepare your mouth before your dentist places a prosthesis (complete or partial dentures). Your denture will sit on the bony ridge. In order to ensure the denture fits well in your mouth and feels comfortable, the bone and tissue area must be the appropriate shape and size. When a tooth is extracted, the area beneath the extracted tooth may be left uneven or jagged. This bone may need to be reshaped or leveled. Sometimes, the bone may need to be removed.
- Flap SurgeryThe surgeon folds the gums back to form a flap in order to access the tissue below the gums. The infected tissue below and between the teeth is removed, and the surgeon then follows with tooth scaling and root planing to remove plaque and bacteria below the gumline. The scaling and planing will also smooth rough spots on the tooth roots that could promote recurrence of the gum disease.
- Maxillofacial SurgeryOral-Maxillofacial Surgery is a surgical specialty which involves the diagnosis, surgery and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. More simply put, the oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the orthopedic surgeon of the facial region. He or she is an individual who addresses problems ranging from the removal of impacted teeth to the repair of facial trauma.
- Osseous SurgeryThe surgical procedure is used to smooth and reshape the affected bone and create a shallow pocket that makes it more difficult for the more aggressive bacteria to survive. The surgery includes a thorough cleaning of the root surface. These steps make it harder for the bacteria to grow and multiply and to make it easier for the body to work toward self-repair.
- Tooth ExtractionsTooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the bone
- Ridge AugmentationAddition of bone to the alveolar ridge to increase its height and thickness; fills in defects and facilitates retention of implants and prostheses.
- Bone GraftingBone grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. The bone is either obtained from a tissue bank or your own bone is taken from the jaw, hip or tibia (below the knee.) Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition, special membranes may be utilized that dissolve under the gum and protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.