Services
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
The need to have wisdom teeth removed arises when the teeth cannot erupt properly. They may be growing sideways or backwards and may be partially visible in the mouth. Sometimes these teeth are even completely hidden under the gum and bone. Your general dentist or orthodontist may refer you to our office to have the wisdom teeth extracted. Even wisdom teeth that are not impacted may need to be removed if they are badly decayed or are causing damage to adjacent teeth.
If left in place, the wisdom teeth can cause a variety of problems including infections, tumors or cysts around the impacted tooth. Early removal is recommended to avoid problems and /or decrease complications that can arise from the procedure.
Extractions and Socket Preservation
After extraction of a tooth, the surrounding jawbone is likely to shrink, which is an important factor if your treatment plan includes having a dental implant placed. If enough bone is not present, it will need to be added with a bone graft. The bone graft is placed into the extraction socket at the time the tooth is removed and allowed to heal, thus forming new bone. This procedure, known as socket preservation, allows for support of the dental implant.
Bone Grafting
If you are going to have a dental implant placed, there must be enough bone present to support the implant. If an area has had a tooth removed long ago, the bone may not be stable enough to support the implant and bone from another area of the mouth would have to be placed onto the thin bone before the implant procedure could be placed successfully.
Sinus Lift
The maxillary sinus is a hollow cavity above the upper back teeth. In many patients who have lost teeth long ago, the sinus is very large due to bone loss and natural enlargement of the sinus over a period of time. If there is not enough bone left to successfully place dental implants, a sinus lift may be necessary. A bone graft is placed into the sinus, restoring bone in that area, thus creating a more stable situation for implant placement.
Pre-prosthetic Surgery
Pre-prosthetic surgery is the term used to describe the preparation of the mouth for partial or complete removable denture. The gum and bone under where the denture will be is smoothed and reshaped, allowing much more comfort to the patient as well as a better fit of the prosthesis. Sharp areas under the denture can be sources of irritation and some patients even have extra bone, known as tori, in the certain areas of the mouth, which may need to be removed prior to fabricating the denture.
Exposure and Bracketing of Impacted Teeth
If a cuspid tooth becomes impacted, it is very important that a dental professional assist in every effort to have the tooth move into the proper place. These teeth are very important since they are very strong biting teeth. Usually, in a combined effort between orthodontist and oral surgeon, an orthodontist will place braces on the teeth to open a space for the tooth to come through. Once the space is available, the oral surgeon will expose and bracket the tooth. This simple procedure, known as exposure and bracketing, involves lifting the gum to expose the impacted tooth and bonding a bracket to it. About a week later, the orthodontist will apply either a rubber band or chain to the tooth to guide it into place.
Oral Pathology
The inside of a healthy mouth is lined with a smooth, pink skin. If any area of the mouth does not appear to be smooth and pink in color, this could be a sign of some form of pathology, the most serious being oral cancer. Signs of a cancerous growth forming may include red, white or pigmented areas, a mouth sore or ulcer that never heals or easily bleeds, and/or a lump or thickening anywhere in the mouth. These signals should not be ignored and should be seen by Dr. Rebhun to determine if they are areas of concern.
Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements that were first developed half a century ago by a Swedish scientist named Per-Ingvar Branemark. Implants arose from the patient’s need to secure loose-fitting dentures. Since the advent of the implant, engineering and enhancements to the implant have enabled dentists to expand the implant’s usefulness, including the replacement of missing or lost teeth. This implant is often as strong as the patient’s original tooth. The implant or artificial root is placed into the jawbone, then allowed to heal and integrate with the bone. Once the healing process is completed and the jawbone is attached to the implant, the patient returns to the dental office where the implant is fitted with the new tooth. This process generally takes anywhere from three to eight months.
