Oral Surgeons in Lancaster, TX

Oral Surgery Treatments

Our experienced team will initially evaluate your smile and dental needs in order to determine whether oral surgery is the best treatment for you.

• Extractions
• Wisdom Teeth
• Dental Implants
• Bone Grafting
• Occlusal Equilibration (TMJ)

Extractions

You and your dentist may determine that you need a tooth extraction for any number of reasons. Some teeth are extracted because they are severely decayed; others may have advanced periodontal disease or have broken in a way that cannot be repaired. Other teeth may need removal because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted teeth), or in preparation for orthodontic treatment.

At the time of extraction, the doctor will first numb your tooth, jaw bone, and gums that surround the area with a local anesthetic. During the extraction process, you will feel a lot of pressure but no pain. This is from the process of firmly rocking the tooth in order to widen the socket for removal. If you do feel anything during the extraction, please let us know right away.

Wisdom Tooth Removal

If wisdom teeth come through, most peoples’ mouths do not have the necessary space for the tooth to develop normally. This causes the tooth to develop in an awkward direction. Many people experience serious pain when this happens, which results in the necessity for the wisdom tooth/teeth to be removed.

Symptoms of wisdom teeth development include:

• Pain and tenderness in the gums and jaw
• Headaches
• Swelling or redness in the gums
• An unpleasant taste in the mouth when you bite in the area of the wisdom teeth
• Trismus (difficulty in opening the mouth)

Dental Implants

If you are missing one or more teeth, it can have an impact on the way you talk, smile, and chew, eventually impacting your entire life. In fact, many people become isolated or even depressed as a result of their missing teeth. While there are options such as dentures and bridges to replace missing teeth, they are not as valuable as dental implants. In fact, a dental implant is the only tooth restoration that mimics the function of a real tooth.

Dental Implants are tiny posts or screws made of biocompatible titanium that are surgically placed into the jawbone and gums to replace a missing tooth. They replace the tooth roots, which are an integral part of a healthy smile and functioning jawbone. Because the titanium material naturally fuses with your jawbone, the bone is getting the constant stimulation it needs to continue to grow. Without that stimulation, the bone would eventually die and disintegrate into your body which would cause your face to sag.

Bone Grafting

Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed (shrinks). Bone loss can also occur from trauma (such as car accidents) and from diseases or infections in the jaw bone. This often leaves a condition in which the jaw bone is soft and is not large enough to place dental implants. In the past, these patients were not candidates for placement of dental implants. Today, we have the ability to regrow bone where needed. This allows us to place implants of proper length and width to replace teeth and gives us a chance to restore chewing function and improve the appearance of your teeth and smile.

Bone grafting can repair sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease, or injuries to allow dental implant placement. This allows the placement of dental implants in the correct position, which aids in implants functioning and looking like teeth. Bone is either obtained from a tissue bank, or your own bone is taken from the jaw.

Occlusal Equilibration

Sometimes, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) pain and dysfunction cannot be addressed with a splint or mouthguard. Luckily, most TMJ cases can be corrected with occlusal equilibration, which involves selective reshaping of the biting surfaces of the teeth and is often the best choice for eliminating deflective interferences so that the jaw can close properly. Once the lower jaw is able to close properly into position within the temporomandibular socket, your pain may be relieved immediately. Pain relief is typically achieved when the muscles are able to function properly.