Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Dental Extractions

Teeth may require extraction for a variety of reasons ranging from alleviation of pain from tooth decay, and abscess or periodontal disease to non-salvageable teeth that need extraction in preparation for placement of implants, dentures or a bridge. Whatever the reason, our doctors are very well trained in such procedures, with an advanced knowledge to manage any associated medical conditions you may have and/or anxiety associated with the procedure.

Wisdom teeth and other impacted teeth

Wisdom teeth (third molars) can be the most troublesome teeth in the mouth. These molars usually erupt in the late teens or early 20s. However, many times the jaws are simply not large enough to accommodate the wisdom teeth. This can cause problems such as damage to neighboring teeth, difficulty with hygiene, infection, and pain. The removal of wisdom teeth can eliminate these problems. The surgery in our practice can be done on an outpatient basis in most cases, and normal activities can usually be resumed within a few days of surgery, depending on the severity of the procedure and the age of the patient.

Our surgeons are also experienced in the extraction of other impacted teeth, as well as surgery that allows impacted teeth to successfully erupt into the mouth.

Dental implants

With years of research and clinical use, dental implants are now a proven, long-lasting, esthetically pleasing alternative to replace missing teeth or even an alternative to conventional dentures or crowns and bridges.

Dental implants are usually placed in the dental office while the patient is under local anesthesia. The implant consists of a small titanium cylinder or screw, which is surgically implanted and serves as a "root" for the crown that will replace the tooth.

Evaluation for dental implants is carried out in a multidisciplinary environment, which includes prosthodontic involvement. Our surgeons are experienced in the successful placement of dental implants, and in other ancillary procedures such as bone grafting in preparation for dental implants. State of the art Cone Beam CT scanning and computer analysis is available in certain cases to evaluate implant placement.

Pathology of the mouth and jaws

The problem of facial and oral lesions is indeed a serious one. The signs and symptoms of these conditions are numerous and occasionally subtle. During routine examination, we always check for oral and facial lesions and cancers, even if symptoms are not noticed or present.

The treatment for facial and oral lesions usually consists initially of a biopsy to determine the nature of the lesion. If indicated, surgery to remove benign lesions is usually done at a later time. Our ultimate goal is always the restoration of function (chewing, eating and speech) and the cosmetic correction of any defects resulting from removal of the tumor. Toward that goal, a final phase of the treatment may involve soft tissue and/or bony reconstruction of the defects and placement of dental implants, if necessary. State of the art laser surgery is available for some cases.

Anesthesia

Different kinds of surgical procedures require different types and delivery of anesthetic techniques. Our surgeons will explain these to you and help you chose the most appropriate anesthesia for your surgical needs. We also have a close partnership with the OSU Dental Anesthesiology program.