Oral Surgery and Dental Implants

Don’t live with tooth pain any longer than you have to — we’re here to help! Our team at Dental on Central is invested in keeping your mouth healthy and happy.

  • Extractions
  • Root Canals
  • Implants
  • Wisdom Teeth
  • Sinus Lifts
  • Augmentation

Extractions

A local anesthetic will be used to numb your tooth, jawbone, and gums that surround the area. Pressure, but no pain, is felt during the extraction, which is caused by firmly rocking the tooth in order to widen the socket for removal. Sometimes it is necessary for the tooth to come out in a few pieces. The dentist will use a dental handpiece to section the tooth.

Tooth extractions are the most common reason for oral surgery for the following reasons:

  • Severe Tooth Decay
  • Advanced Periodontal Disease
  • Cracked or Broken Teeth
  • Impaction
  • Orthodontic Reasons

If you experience pain, you might use non-prescription pain relief medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Dry socket is when a blood clot fails to form in the socket where the tooth has been extracted or the clot has been dislodged and the healing is significantly delayed. Following the post-extraction instructions will reduce the chances of developing a dry socket. Dry sockets manifest themselves as a dull throbbing pain that doesn’t appear until three to four days after the extraction. The pain can be moderate to severe and radiate from the extraction area. Dry socket may cause a bad taste or bad breath and the extraction site appears dry. Dr. Herro or Dr. Santoro will apply a medicated dressing to the dry socket to soothe the pain.

Some bleeding is normal and expected. A blood clot forms in the tooth socket. It is important that this clot is not dislodged.

  • Avoid rinsing or spitting for 24 hours after the extraction.
  • Avoid the use of a straw, smoking, or drinking hot liquids.

If swelling occurs, you can place ice on your face for 10 minutes and off for 20 minutes. Repeat this cycle as you feel necessary for up to 24 hours.

After a tooth has been extracted, there will be a resulting hole in your jawbone where the tooth was. In time, this will smooth and fill in with bone. This process can take many weeks or months. However, after 1- 2 weeks, you should no longer notice any inconvenience.

Root Canals

Root canal therapy restores and saves an average of 17 million teeth each year.

Root canals are typically performed when decay is extensive or the tooth is infected. Root canals actually save the damaged tooth and are the preferred option compared to complete extraction.

Modern-day technology is a great thing! During a routine root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. It’s actually a common procedure and less painful than most fear. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form resulting in more complex issues, possibly even hospitalization.

A root canal is used to describe the natural cavity within the center of the tooth. The pulp is the soft area within the root canal. The tooth’s nerve lies within the root canal and is accessed by drilling into the top of the tooth. The pulp along with bacteria, the decayed nerve tissue, and related debris are removed from the tooth. The interior of the tooth is then filled with a rubber compound and is placed into the tooth’s root canal. To fill the exterior access hole created at the beginning of the root canal, a filling is required to seal that hole.

The final step may involve further restoration of the tooth. Because a tooth that needs a root canal often is one that has a large filling or extensive decay or other weakness, a crown is often required to protect the tooth and prevent it from breaking.

Thankfully, a tooth’s nerve is not vital to a tooth’s health and performance. Its only function is to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is a prosthetic replacement for a missing tooth. Natural teeth consist of the crown and the root. The crown is the visible section that is covered with white enamel. Supporting the crown is the tooth root which extends into the jawbone. The root is the part of the tooth that is effectively replaced by an implant.

There are commonly three parts to what is described as an implant – the implant device itself (which is inserted directly into the bone); the abutment – the piece that connects the implant device to the third part – the overlying crown or denture.

Today’s implants are predominantly made of titanium, a metal that is bio-compatible and offers strength and durability as well as a unique property of fusing directly to bone – the process known as osseointegration. Other materials, such as zirconium, might be used to make implants in the future. But for now, these materials have not been perfected for general use.

What is Osseointegration?

Dental implants work by a process known as osseointegration, which occurs when bone cells attach themselves directly to the titanium surface, essentially locking the implant into the jaw bone. This process was first discovered by a Swedish researcher, Per-Ingvar Brånemark, in the 1960s. Placing dental implants into the jaw bones by controlled surgical procedures allows them to “osseointegrate.”

Osseointegrated implants can then be used to support prosthetic tooth replacements of various designs and functionality, replacing anything from a single missing tooth to a full arch (all teeth in the upper and lower jaw). These replacement teeth are usually made to match the natural enamel color of each patient which offers a completely natural appearance and a whole new smile.

Make your appointment today!

If you would like to learn more, please contact our office staff and schedule your appointment today!

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